New Jersey Nets ties NBA's worst losing streak records

LOS ANGELES(AP) When the New Jersey Nets finally reached an inauspicious NBA record, the Staples Center's public address announcer let the crowd know all about it.

At least he had the tact to wait until the Nets were out of earshot after their 17th straight loss.

The undermanned, undertalented Nets matched the worst start to an NBA season Sunday night, with Kobe Bryant scoring 30 points in the Los Angeles Lakers ' 106-87 victory.

Kidd: NBA's second all-time assist leader

HOUSTON (AP) -- Jason Kidd moved into second place on the NBA's career assists list during the Dallas Mavericks' game with the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

Kidd had 10,330 assists entering the game, and needed five more to pass Mark Jackson (10,334). Kidd got No. 5 on an alley-oop pass to Rodrigue Beaubois for a dunk with 10:53 left in the third quarter.

John Stockton is the NBA's career assists leader (15,806).

Garnett in the nick of time

NEW YORK (AP) Paul Pierce carried the Celtics all game while the rest of the Big Three struggled.

So when it came time for the winning shot, of course Pierce would take it.

That's what the New York Knicks seemed to think, anyway.

Instead, Pierce swung it to a wide-open Kevin Garnett, whose jumper beat the overtime buzzer to give Boston a 107-105 victory Sunday.

“I knew they were going to sort of follow Paul and he's going to draw a lot of attention,” Garnett said, “and I just had to make the shot.”

Garnett hadn't made many, going 4 of 15 in what he said was an average to below-average performance. Yet Pierce suggested the final play to coach Doc Rivers and it worked perfectly.

“He's that type of player,” Pierce said. “You're talking about a Hall of Fame player. He's missed millions of shots. He's going to keep playing, going to keep taking shots when he gets an opportunity. He really stepped up big for our team when we needed it.”

Pierce scored a season-high 33 points, and had all of Boston's points in overtime until the final play. Two Knicks followed him, leaving Garnett alone at the top of the key for his 19-footer.

“I am expecting Pierce to try and make a move and pull up,” said David Lee, one of the defenders who followed Pierce.

“Good play by them and it's just unfortunate to lose a game like this.”

Garnett and Ray Allen had miserable shooting performances, but Rajon Rondo finished with 14 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds as Boston won for the second time in five games.

Reserve Al Harrington scored 30 points and Lee had 22 points and 15 rebounds for the Knicks, who had won their previous two games. They apparently were supposed to use their foul to give on the final play, a disappointing end to an otherwise strong performance.

“We wanted to give the foul if Paul Pierce was going to the hole but that never happened,” Harrington said. “It's frustrating, but we played extremely hard.”

The Celtics opened a big lead and blew all of it in a seesaw third quarter, then rallied to force overtime and improve to 17-4 against the Knicks since the 2004-05 season.

The Celtics, whom Rivers said had been playing “awful” recently, needed a big afternoon from Pierce while his remaining All-Star teammates struggled. Allen was 3 of 13 for his 13 points and Garnett scored 10.

Both made big shots late in regulation, though, and Kendrick Perkins chipped in with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

“We played better today. Not the way we'd like to, of course, but better,” Pierce said. “We're going to build on that. We're still a work in progess.”

Nate Robinson rebounded from his poor decision Saturday to shoot at the wrong basket with a strong game Sunday, scoring 19 points off the bench. The Knicks fell to 3-10 in the opener of consecutive games against the last two NBA champions; they start a three-game trip Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers .

“It makes it tough, because we're on the road right now in the West,” Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said. “That's not fun. There are a lot of games, just as long as we keep playing and keep playing hard.”

Pierce's free throws capped an 11-0 run out of halftime and made it 67-53. The Knicks had more passes into the seats (2) than baskets (1) in the first four minutes of the third quarter, then suddenly turned it around as quickly as they'd fallen apart.

Harrington made three 3-pointers in a 20-6 surge that tied it at 75, Robinson made a 3 to snap a 77-all tie, and Harrington's follow shot made it 82-77 heading to the fourth.

New York led for nearly the entire period before Allen's 3-pointer gave Boston a 96-94 advantage with 2:47 left. Lee tied it again with 1:19 to play, but Garnett knocked down a jumper 12 seconds later.

The Knicks got the ball back following a couple of questionable calls and no-calls and tied it on Harrington's free throws with 4.7 seconds remaining. Rondo missed a 3-pointer as time expired.

Eddy Curry had six points in his first home game since March 2008. He received a decent ovation when he checked in with 3:32 left in the first quarter, then departed after shoving Rondo down and getting whistled for a flagrant foul with 5:21 remaining in the fourth.

Clips anchors suspended for Iranian statement

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two Los Angeles Clippers basketball broadcasters were suspended one game by the Fox Sports Prime Ticket cable network for their comments about an Iranian-born NBA player.

Longtime play-by-play announcer Ralph Lawler and color analyst Michael Smith made their off-the-cuff comments about the Memphis Grizzlies center Hamed Haddadi during Wednesday night's telecast from Memphis. The on-air banter, which includes remarks to Borat actor Sacha Baron Cohen, offended a viewer who e-mailed Fox to complain.

The duo did not work Friday's night telecast against the Denver Nuggets at Staples Center. Michael Eaves and Don MacLean, who regularly serve as halftime and postgame analysts on the Clippers telecasts, substituted for Lawler and Smith at courtside.

Lawler, 71, is in his 31st season doing Clippers games, and Smith is in his 12th. Lawler has surpassed 2,400 regular season and playoff Clippers broadcasts in his career, according to the team's Web site.

"We regret the remarks made by Clippers announcers Michael Smith and Ralph Lawler during Wednesday's telecast," Fox said in a statement about 2½ hours before the game. "While we believe that Michael and Ralph did not intend their exchange to be offensive, the comments were inappropriate.

"We extend our apologies to Hamed Haddadi of the Memphis Grizzlies and to anyone who was offended. We have addressed the situation with Michael and Ralph and have taken appropriate action."

The Clippers did not comment.

The transcript of the conversation between Lawler and Smith, which occurred late in the game, was printed on the Los Angeles Times' Web site:

Smith: "Look who's in."

Lawler: "Hamed Haddadi. Where's he from?"

Smith: "He's the first Iranian to play in the NBA." (Smith pronounced Iranian as "Eye-ranian," a pronunciation that offended the viewer who complained.)

Lawler: "There aren't any Iranian players in the NBA," repeating Smith's mispronunciation.

Smith: "He's the only one."

Lawler: "He's from Iran?"

Smith: "I guess so."

Lawler: "That Iran?"

Smith: "Yes."

Lawler: "The real Iran?"

Smith: "Yes."

Lawler: "Wow. Haddadi that's H-A-D-D-A-D-I."

Smith: "You're sure it's not Borat's older brother?"

Smith: "If they ever make a movie about Haddadi, I'm going to get Sacha Baron Cohen to play the part."

Lawler: "Here's Haddadi. Nice little back-door pass. I guess those Iranians can pass the ball."

Smith: "Especially the post players.

Lawler: "I don't know about their guards."

Copyright 2009 Associated Press

Boxing immortalize Pacquiao; trounce Cotto

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Manny Pacquiao barged into boxing immortality by outgunning, outsmarting, and brutally busting up Cotto to become the first boxer in history to win seven world titles in as many weight classes. Pacquiao's speed and power were way too much for Miguel Cotto's heart.

Pacquiao put on yet another dominating performance Saturday night, knocking down Cotto twice and turning his face into a bloody mess before finally stopping him at 55 seconds of the 12th round.

The Filipino star used his blazing speed and power from both hands to win his seventh title in seven weight classes and cement his stature as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Cotto took such a beating that his face was a river of red from the fury of Pacquiao's punches, but he refused to quit even as his corner tried to throw in the towel after the 11th round.

"I didn't know from where the punches were coming," Cotto said.

The fight was billed as a 145-pound classic, and in the early rounds it didn't disappoint. The two went after each other with a vengeance and Cotto more than held his own as they traded punches in the center of the ring before a roaring sellout crowd at the MGM Grand arena.

Pacquiao dropped Cotto with a right hand early in the third round, but he wasn't badly hurt and came back to finish the round strong. But after Pacquiao put Cotto on the canvas with a big left hand late in the fourth round, the Puerto Rican was never the same again.

Cotto won two rounds on the scorecards of two ringside judges and just one round on the card of the third. The Associated Press gave Cotto just the first round.

"Our plan was not to hurry, but to take our time," Pacquiao said. "It was a hard fight tonight and I needed time to test his power."

Cotto's face was marked early and he was bleeding midway through the fight as Pacquiao kept bouncing around and throwing punches in his unorthodox southpaw style. Cotto tried to keep taking the fight to Pacquiao, but by then his punches had lost their sting and his only real chance was to land a big punch from nowhere.

"He hit harder than we expected and he was a lot stronger than we expected," Cotto's trainer, Joe Santiago, said.

Cotto fought gamely, but in the later rounds he was just trying to survive as blood flowed down his face and Pacquiao came after him relentlessly. Santiago tried to stop the fight after the 11th round, but Cotto went back out to take even more punishment before a final flurry along the ropes prompted referee Kenny Bayless to end it.

Cotto's wife and child, who were at ringside, left after the ninth round, unable to watch the beating any longer. They later accompanied him to a local hospital for a post-fight examination.

"My health comes first. I just want to make sure I'm fine, but I feel great. I'm swollen but that's all," Cotto said.

His face swollen, Cotto was bleeding from his nose and his cuts, and he simply couldn't stop Pacquiao from bouncing inside and throwing both hands at will.

"Manny Pacquiao is one of the best boxers I ever fought," Cotto said.
Pacquiao, coming off of spectacular wins over Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, added another one against Cotto, who had lost only once and held the WBO version of the welterweight title.

Pacquiao did it in his trademark way, throwing punches in flurries and from all angles until Cotto began to slow down. Then he pursued him nonstop until the end.

The fight likely will set up an even bigger one against Floyd Mayweather Jr., and many in crowd were already chanting, "We want Floyd! We want Floyd."

"I want to see him fight Mayweather," trainer Freddie Roach said.
Mayweather may have second thoughts after Pacquiao did what no fighter has done before -- win a belt in a seventh weight class. More impressive, though, is how he has fought, dismantling opponents despite moving up consistently from 106 pounds to the 144 he weighed for the fight.

The welterweight ranks will be the last ones Pacquiao conquers, though.

"This is the last weight division for me," Pacquiao said. "It's history for me and more importantly a Filipino did it."

He was so dominant in the later rounds that Cotto was fighting backward most of the way, simply trying to survive. Pacquiao was credited with landing almost twice as many punches -- 336-172 -- as Cotto.

"I knew when Cotto started backing up, the fight was over," Roach said.

Pacquiao earned a minimum $13 million, while Cotto got $7 million.

Pacquiao was favored, largely off his last two performances in which he forced De La Hoya to quit on his stool and then knocked out Hatton with a huge left hook in the second round. Some in boxing, including Roach, thought Cotto had been slowed by his devastating loss last year to Antonio Margarito and would be further slowed by having to come in 2 pounds lower than his normal weight.

That wasn't the case early in the fight, with Cotto winning the first round and fighting well. Once he was knocked down by a big left hand late in the fourth round, though, he slowed noticeably.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

King James wants championships -- and max contract

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) -- LeBron James wants to be clear: Championships are more important than cash.

Not that the cash isn't nice.

James on Monday clarified a remark he made last week in which the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar said getting a maximum contract next summer isn't that important to him.

"Let's get this clear: I said the max contract doesn't mean more than winning," James said. "I didn't say, 'I don't need a max contract' or 'I'm not going to get a max contract.' All I'm saying is that winning is more important to me than money at the end of the day."

In New York for a game against the Knicks last week, James said "a max deal or anything like that doesn't really matter to me at the end of the day. It's all about winning for me."

That led to speculation that James, who can opt out of his contract with the Cavaliers after this season, would be willing to play somewhere for less than the league maximum.

Richardson snaps Celtics winning streak

BOSTON – Jason Richardson and the Phoenix Suns snap Boston Celtics winning streak at six games with a 110-103 victory on Friday night at TD Garden.

This is Richardson’s most productive game with 34 points and 10 rebounds after he went 0-for-4 in a loss to the Orlando Magic, his third game after suspended by the NBA for drunken driving charges. He finished the game 6-for-7 from the 3-point stripe.

The Sun’s ended the Celtics three game winning streak against them.

Steve Nash contributed 16 points and 12 assists for the Suns. He hit a 3-pointer with 51 seconds remaining with Boston cutting down an 11-point lead to four points.

Kevin Garnett led the Celtics with a season-high 26 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. This is his most offensive night after missing the latter part of the 2008-2009 regular season and the playoffs after injuring his right knee.

The loss snaps the Celtics’ 12-game regular-season home wining streak since last season.

Ray Allen and Paul Pierce each scored 16 points for the Celtics. Rasheed Wallace was limited to only eight points, missing all of six 3-point attempts in the game.

The Meaning of Manny

Manny Pacquiao is in the same level as boxing greats Max Schmeling, Sugar Ray Robinson, Joe Frazier, and Cassius Clay.

Pacman is the second non-heavyweight boxer to land as cover for Time magazine. He was the second Filipino after the former Pres. Corazon Aquino was named Time’s “Woman of the Year” in 1986.

The Time pays tribute to the Filipino southpaw with a story entitled “The Meaning of Manny”. He was given the accolade as the “the latest savior of boxing.”

The magazine features Pacquiao’s humble beginnings, his stature as the Philippines’ icon of pride and hope, boxing accomplishments, his family, and other personal features.

Pacquiao is scheduled to fight welterweight champion Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada dubbed as “Firepower”.

Matsui chosen as World Series MVP

NEW YORK (AP) -- Hideki Matsui has the most curious habit at the plate. He never takes a practice swing once he steps into the batter's box.

He saves all those meaty cuts for when they count.

Matsui did all sorts of damage Wednesday night, setting a record with six RBIs in a World Series clincher and leading the New York Yankees over the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3.

His performance won Game 6 -- and clinched the MVP trophy.

Matsui became the first Japanese-born player to win the award that started in 1955. He homered, doubled and singled, highlighting a Series in which he hit .615 with three home runs and eight RBIs.

"It's awesome," Matsui said through a translator. "Unbelievable. I'm surprised myself."

Standing on a podium in shallow center field, Matsui waved his new championship hat and shook hands with Commissioner Bud Selig. Matsui won three titles in Japan and was eager to celebrate his first in the Bronx.

"I guess it's hard to make a comparison. When I was in Japan, that was the ultimate goal. Being here, winning the World Series, becoming world champions, that's what you strive for here."

"You could say that I guess this is the best moment of my life right now," he said. "It's been a long road and very difficult journey."

Matsui's two-run drive off Pedro Martinez in the second inning put the Yankees ahead for good. Nicknamed "Godzilla" back home, Matsui sent a shot to right field that banged off an advertisement on the facing of the second deck -- fittingly, it was a sign for the Japanese company Komatsu, which makes mining and construction equipment.

Matsui added a two-run single in the third and lined a two-run double off the right-center field wall in the fifth. The giant videoboard in center field showed fans holding Japanese signs and while the sellout crowd roared, he stood placidly at second base.

Fans cheered when Matsui's feat, matching Bobby Richardson's 1960 mark for RBIs in any Series game, was posted on the scoreboard. No one, however, had ever delivered such a bounty in the game that wrapped up a championship.

Matsui drew a standing ovation when he came to bat in the seventh, and chants of "MVP! MVP!" bounced around the ballpark.

"He hit everything we threw up there," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said.

Watching Game 6 on TV in Tokyo, Masanori Murakami echoed that sentiment. He was the first Japanese player in the majors, in 1964 with San Francisco, and fully appreciated the magnitude of Matsui's honor.

"Ichiro Suzuki has had many accomplishments, but they've all been in the regular season. As the first Japanese to win an MVP in the World Series, this is a great accomplishment for Matsui and will have a huge impact," Murakami said.

"New York is a tough place to play, so this is a great achievement for him given all he has been through with injuries and missing time," he said.

An outfielder by trade, Matsui hasn't played the field since June 15, 2008, because of bad knees. He hit .274 this year with 28 homers and 90 RBIs, and wasn't much of a force in the AL playoffs against Minnesota and the Los Angeles Angels.

That changed against the defending champion Phillies.

Now strictly a DH and pinch-hitter because of bad knees, Matsui accomplished a lot in a hurry. His 13 at-bats tied Baltimore's Rick Dempsey in 1983 for the fewest by a Series MVP (nonpitchers only, naturally), according to STATS.

"He has been a clutch player ever since I've known him," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

Matsui became the first player to win the award as a full-time DH in the Series. Toronto DH Paul Molitor played in the field when the Blue Jays won the 1993 title.

"Oh my goodness. You can't say enough about Matsui all year," Yankees star Mark Teixeira said. "The biggest game of the year, unbelievable. I haven't seen a guy hit like that in the World Series."

Matsui became the 11th Yankees player to win the award, joining teammates Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, along with the likes of Reggie Jackson and Whitey Ford.

At 35, Matsui's greatest achievement might've come in his last game in pinstripes.

Matsui hit a grand slam in his first game at old Yankee Stadium in 2003 -- just like Wednesday night, New York won 7-3 and Pettitte got the victory.

This year wrapped up Matsui's $52 million, four-year contract. It remains to be seen what the aging Yankees will do with Matsui.

Whatever happens, he certainly left his mark.

"I hope so. I hope it works out that way," he said. "I love New York, I love the Yankees."

Yankees secure 27th World Series diadem

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Yankees christened the first season in their new ballpark the same way they opened their old stadium in 1923: with a World Series championship.

Hideki Matsui's record night powered the offense, Andy Pettitte held Philadelphia's offense in check and Derek Jeter started a pair of key rallies with base hits, as the Yankees beat the Phillies 7-3 to win their 27th title and first since 2000, a relatively long drought by this storied franchise's standards (BOX SCORE).

Matsui was named the World Series MVP after batting .615 with three home runs, the second designated hitter to be so honored.
"Winning the championship is such a great feeling," Matsui said through an interpreter. "I guess you can say that this is the best moment of my life right now."

Jeter, Pettitte and catcher Jorge Posada are veterans of the Yankees' run of four championships in five years from 1996-2000. Also part of those teams, of course, was closer Mariano Rivera, who pitched 1 2/3 innings to finish Wednesday night's Game 6. It was the fourth time Rivera has recorded the last out of the World Series, inducing Shane Victorino to groundout to Robinson Cano at second base as the Yankees poured out of the dugout in celebration before the throw even reached first base.

On a cold November evening, matching the latest date a World Series game had ever been played, Pettitte allowed three runs over 5 2/3 innings to extend his postseason records for career wins (18) and series-clinching wins (six). Pettitte also won the final game of all three playoff rounds, matching Boston's Derek Lowe in 2004 as the only pitchers to do so.

"If you pitch, you have a chance to win," said Jeter. "You guys say I always give the same answer, but it's the right answer."
Jeter singled twice, doubled and scored two runs, batting .407 for the Series.

But it was Matsui's mighty swings in the early innings that buried the Phillies, as Godzilla finally conquered New York. He tied the World Series record set by the Yankees' Bobby Richardson in 1960 with six RBIs while going 3-for-4 with a single, double and a home run, to earn his first World Series ring after winning three Japan Series titles with the Yomiuri Giants.
Matsui's surgically repaired knee prevented him from playing the field at all and, thus, from starting the three games in Philadelphia where he could not serve as the designated hitter but contributed as a pinch hitter, even homering in Game 3.

"My first and foremost goal when I joined the Yankees was to win the world championship," Matsui said. "Certainly it's been a long road and very difficult journey. I'm just happy after all these years we were able to win and reach the goal that I had come here for."

In the bottom of the second Matsui turned on a full-count, 89-mile-per-hour heater that Martinez left over the middle of the plate and crushed a deep home run inside the rightfield foul pole on the eighth pitch of the at-bat.

The Yankees struck again in the third, as Jeter led off with a liner into centerfield that Victorino narrowly missed, scooping it up on a short hop for a single. Martinez then walked Johnny Damon and hit Mark Teixeira with a pitch, loading the bases with one out. Martinez nearly escaped trouble, catching Alex Rodriguez looking with a breaking ball on the outside corner for the second out, but Matsui made him pay. On 0-2 Martinez threw a fastball some eight inches off the plate, but Matsui somehow reached across and punched it into centerfield for the two-RBI single.

Matsui continued his curious postseason success against Martinez. Though he's just 4-for-28 against Martinez in regular-season games, Matsui is now 9-for-19, with six extra-base hits (four doubles, two homers) in playoff games.

"Mattie has been a clutch player ever since I met him," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

Godzilla struck again off in the fifth off the bullpen. Jeter started the inning with a ground-rule double off reliever Chad Durbin and later scored on a Teixeira single. Matsui followed a few batters later with a two-RBI double off lefty J.A. Happ, who was brought in to face him, the final hit of a wild night and terrific series for the Japanese legend.

"They're partying in Tokyo tonight," Yankees rightfielder Nick Swisher said. "What a great job Matsui did for us. He came up clutch for us all year long. He deserved that MVP trophy, there's no doubt about it."

The Phillies chipped a run off the early lead in the top of the third. Catcher Carlos Ruiz tripled on a ball off the left-centerfield wall and scored on a sacrifice fly from Jimmy Rollins. It was Ruiz's fifth hit of the Series and fourth for extra bases.

Ryan Howard hit an opposite-field, two-run homer in the top of the sixth, cutting New York's lead to 7-3.

Game 6 featured a pitcher's duel between veteran stars who first faced each other in 1998 and regularly renewed battles during the tense Boston-New York rivalry games earlier this decade, when Martinez was with the Red Sox. Martinez got the loss, completing only four innings and allowing four runs.

Martinez left Yankee Stadium before clubhouses opened to the media, making only a few comments on his way out.

"I'm extremely proud," Martinez said, "... [but] they got me."

The Phillies had been the defending World Series champions but failed to become the first team this decade to repeat, after winning 93 games and their third straight NL East title. A lack of timely hits and poor starting pitching beyond ace Cliff Lee ultimately did them in.

"That just makes us more determined to come back next year," said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel.

It was not only the first World Series title for Matsui, but also for Rodriguez, Teixeira, Swisher and starters CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, New York's prized free-agent signings. Their pitching turned around the Yankees' recent postseason misfortune in which they had won just four of their previous 17 playoff games.

"You play a lot of years to try and get here," Teixeira said. "Once you're here, it's unbelievable. Why wear the pinstripes if you're not going to win championships -- that's what the Yankees are all about."

It was also the first managerial ring for Girardi, who had donned uniform No. 27 to signal his pursuit of the franchise's 27th title.

As the game ended, the scoreboard flashed a message that "This one's for the Boss," a reference to ailing owner George Steinbrenner.
"I hope he feels special," his son Hal Steinbrenner, the Yankees' general managing partner, said on the field. "This team, the entire postseason, has been focused, to win this for him."

Toyota quits Formula 1

TOKYO (espnstar.com) - Toyota has announced that they are to leave Formula 1, blaming the economic downturn for their decision.

The announcement was made at a media conference in Tokyo by Toyota Motor Corporation president Akio Toyoda.

The world's largest car maker is now the third major manufacturer to withdraw from F1 in the space of 11 months after Honda and BMW.

Toyota's departure continues the exodus of Japanese companies from motor sport as Subaru and Suzuki withdrew from the World Rally Championship prior to this season.

In motorbikes, Kawasaki pulled out of MotoGP, and on Monday tyre manufacturer Bridgestone announced they will not be renewing their supply contract in F1 after next season.

A statement read: "Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announces it plans to withdraw from the FIA Formula One World Championship at the end of the 2009 season.

"TMC, which had viewed its participation in F1 as contributing to the prosperity of automotive culture, remained dedicated to competing at the pinnacle of motor sports, even in the face of the abrupt economic changes that started last year.

"However, when considering TMC's motor-sports activities next year and beyond from a comprehensive mid-term viewpoint reflecting the current severe economic realities, TMC decided to withdraw from F1.

"TMC leaves F1 having compiled 13 podium and 87 point finishes over eight challenging seasons since 2002 with Panasonic Toyota Racing, a full-constructor team.

"It views its time in F1 - in which teams put forth their best efforts to fiercely compete at racing's highest level - as an irreplaceable experience that provided an opportunity to develop both human resources and its R&D operations.

"TMC expresses its deepest appreciation to its F1 fans and others for their warm support."

"TMC also wants to express its heartfelt gratitude to all Panasonic Toyota Racing drivers to date, and to all Toyota Motorsport employees who have helped make the team's achievements possible.

"TMC intends to do its best to find a solution for those parties who will be affected by any inconvenience this decision may cause.

"Drawing on its experience in F1 and other motor sports, TMC intends to move forward in developing exciting production vehicles, such as the Lexus 'LFA' supercar and compact rear-wheel-drive sports cars.

"In motor sports, it will not only race in various categories, but will also actively contribute to further development of motor sports by supporting grassroots races and planning events in which it is easy for people to participate."

Speculation surrounding Toyota's future was rife throughout the year, in particular after the parent company announced the worst financial losses in its history in March.
Further significant losses are expected to be revealed on Thursday, and this has forced Toyoda, grandson of the company's founder, and his board of directors to act.

In July, and due to the global financial crisis, Toyota-owned Fuji International Speedway confirmed they would not host the Japanese Grand Prix next year.

However, Toyota signed a new Concorde Agreement with motor sport's governing body, the FIA, over the summer, tying them to Formula One through to 2012. It appeared at that stage any doubts as to their future had been erased.

Toyota's departure does at least open the door for Sauber to take up the now vacant 13th position on the grid.

After BMW confirmed their own withdrawal from the sport at the end of July, with their final race the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday, it left Sauber fighting for survival.

They were eventually taken over by Qadbak Investments Ltd in mid-September, just hours after Lotus were awarded the 13th slot.

The FIA agreed to the possibility of 14 teams competing in F1 next season on the proviso of there being unanimous agreement from all the other marques, which was not forthcoming.

It left Sauber playing an anxious waiting game these past few weeks, one that is finally over in the wake of Toyota's exit.

Following a strong start to the season, Toyota went on to finish fifth in this year's constructors' championship.

However, since their arrival in F1 in 2002 they failed to win a grand prix in 140 attempts, with the team's best result the back-to-back second places by Jarno Trulli in Malaysia and Bahrain in 2005.

It leaves drivers Trulli, Timo Glock and Kamui Kobayashi in limbo, although it was expected neither the veteran Italian nor the German would be re-signed.

Toyota's decision is particularly hard on Kobayashi who had driven superbly in the final two races in the absence of the injured Glock.

That led to Toyota Motorsport boss John Howett confirming in Abu Dhabi on Sunday the Japanese was "70 to 80% certain" of being given a contract for next year.

Just three manufacturers now remain in F1 - Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Renault - with the focus likely to switch to the latter in light of their previously precarious circumstances.

Lakers nip Thunder in OT; Shaq masters Wizards

LA Lakers 101, OKC Thunder 98 (OT)

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Ron Artest finally got to experience what it's like to be on the same team when Kobe Bryant finishes off a win.

Bryant scored 31 points including the go-ahead jumper in overtime as the Los Angeles Lakers got tested in their first road game of the season, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 101-98 on Tuesday night.

Bryant connected on a turnaround jumper from the left side with 2:29 to play to give the defending NBA champions a 99-97 lead and then hit two free throws with 18 seconds remaining to push the lead to three.

The Thunder had two chances to tie it late, but Thabo Sefolosha and Russell Westbrook each missed 3-pointers surrounding a pair of missed free throws by Lamar Odom .

Kevin Durant led Oklahoma City with 28 points but airballed a pair of shots that could have given the Thunder the lead in the closing minute of regulation and overtime.

He dribbled the ball to run down the final few seconds of the fourth quarter before coming up empty on a deep 3-pointer from the right wing with 2.7 seconds left, but Sefolosha stole the Lakers' ensuing inbounds pass to send the game to overtime.

Durant then had an airball on a 17-footer from the right side in the final 30 seconds of overtime that could've put Oklahoma City ahead again. Bryant was fouled intentionally and hit two free throws to provide the final margin.

Andrew Bynum added 22 points and 10 rebounds, Artest scored 20 and Odom had 13 points and eight rebounds while starting again in place of the injured Pau Gasol .

Jeff Green had 18 points for Oklahoma City while Westbrook and Sefolosha each scored 12.

The Lakers have won their last 10 games against the Thunder franchise, dating back to its days in Seattle.

Cleveland Cavaliers 102, Washington Wizards 90

CLEVELAND(AP) Shaquille O'Neal has always felt like when he gets the ball down low, within a few feet of the basket, he should score every time.

The Cavaliers just got him, and they're not about to let him go.

O'Neal had easily his best game since joining Cleveland, scoring a season-high 21 points while wearing out Washington's big men and LeBron James scored 27 points as the Cavaliers won their third straight, beating the Wizards 102-90 on Tuesday night.

Hitting bank shots. Dropping hooks. Making free throws. Dominating.

For the first time with the Cavaliers, Shaq was Shaq.

The Cavs have been using the 7-foot-1 O'Neal and his 7-foot-3 backup, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, together with mixed results. But the pair are getting more comfortable and confident with every second they spend on the floor and have the potential to be a matchup nightmare for any team.

Brown has never had a weapon like O'Neal. When asked what it's like to have such a big interior threat, Cleveland's coach just smiled.

Mo Williams scored 15 and Daniel Gibson 14 for the Cavs, who made nine 3-pointers in the second half - four in the fourth quarter when James was out. Cleveland held the Wizards to just 36 points in the second half and only 59 over the final three quarters.

Caron Butler and Gilbert Arenas scored 22 apiece to lead the Wizards.

Celt's Rasheed trounce hometown Sixers

PHILADELPHIA(AP) Rasheed Wallace keeps making his hometown his stomping ground.

Wallace rooted on the Phillies at Game 5 of the World Series and he popped by to watch Philly boxing great Bernard Hopkins train for an upcoming bout.

Boston's top reserve didn't stop having fun just because it was time to play. Wallace hit six 3-pointers as part of a 20-point effort and the Celtics remained unbeaten with a 105-74 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night.

''It's home,'' Wallace said. ''A lot of friends and family don't get the opportunity to see me play. Everybody can't get that league pass and all that stuff. It's always fun to come back here and play.''

Wallace, who wore a black Phillies jacket to the game, easily had his best game in his short stint with the Celtics. He pretty much caught the ball, let it rip and watched it sink through the net. Wallace made 6 of 8 3-pointers and sank each long attempt about as easily as a layup in the paint.

Wallace was about the only Celtic who had his normal night, even getting whistled for a technical foul for arguing with the refs in the third quarter. His fuse burst late in the quarter when he appeared to be fouled on a shot. The ref called a foul, he just didn't call it a shooting foul and denied Wallace a trip to the free-throw line.

Wallace kept badgering the refs over the perceived blown call until he was hit with the T with 4.5 seconds left in the third.

''I just wanted to get my point across,'' Wallace said. ''I wasn't going to get thrown out.''

Paul Pierce scored 21 points as the Celtics improved to 5-0 even without the usual standout performances from Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen .

''We're going to win because of our defense no matter how good our offense is,'' Celtics coach Doc Rivers said.

Allen didn't score his first field goal until the third quarter and had five points. Garnett made just one basket on seven shots and scored three points when he was yanked with the game out of hand.

By the time Wallace got his technical, the game had spiraled into a blowout. Allen scored his first basket and Pierce hit a 3-pointer in a 14-2 run to open the quarter that shook off the Sixers for good.

Eddie House made four 3s off the bench for the Celtics and scored 12 points. Shelden Williams added 11 points, helping the Celtics bench to a productive night after the starters and Wallace made this one a rout.

Boston went 14 for 20 from 3-point range. The Sixers failed to hit a 3 until Jrue Holiday made one with 1:28 left in the game. The basket only cut Boston's lead to 102-71.

Andre Iguodala led the Sixers with 17 points. Philadelphia missed 15 of 16 3-point attempts.

Thaddeus Young was the only other Sixer in double digits, scoring 11 points as they snapped their modest two-game winning streak.

The Sixers have struggled in two losses against the elite teams in the Eastern Conference (Orlando, Boston).

''They are veterans and we know they know how to play together,'' Young said.

Wallace, friends with Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins, didn't offer a World Series prediction. The Yankees hold a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

''We've got the bats for it, we've got the pitching for it,'' Wallace said.

He was also smart enough to stay out of Hopkins way during an afternoon visit at a local boxing gym. Hopkins, who attended the game, will fight Enrique Ornelas in a light heavyweight bout on Dec. 2 at Temple's Liacouras Center.

''Nah, I didn't get in the ring with him this time,'' Wallace said. ''He's got a fight coming up and I didn't want to damage him or nothing.''

Instead, he saved his blows for the 76ers.

Boston Celtics sting Hornets 97-87 to improve 4-0

BOSTON (AP) – Paul Pierce scored 27 points as the Boston Celtics continued their unbeaten start to the NBA season with a 97-87 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Sunday night.

Chris Paul had 22 points and eight assists for New Orleans, and then had to be held back after the game when he tried to follow the Celtics off the court to their locker room. Paul and Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo also exchanged words in the second quarter, drawing matching technical fouls.

Ray Allen scored 17, Kevin Garnett had 14 and Rondo had 10 assists for Boston, which pulled away with an 11-3 run in the last 4 minutes.

Peja Stojakovic scored 26 as a reserve for New Orleans. Emeka Okafor had 10 rebounds for New Orleans.

Heat 95, Bulls 87

At Miami, Dwyane Wade scored 25 points to push his career total to 10,005, while Udonis Haslem had 19 points and 11 rebounds off the bench as Miami improved to 3-0.

Carlos Arroyo scored 12 points; Mario Chalmers added 11 and Michael Beasley overcame a 3-of-12 shooting night to finish with 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat, who took the lead for good on a jumper by Wade with 3:01 remaining.

Luol Deng scored 26 points for Chicago, which got 17 points from John Salmons, 11 from Brad Miller and 10 from Joakim Noah.

Magic 125, Raptors 116

At Toronto, Jameer Nelson scored 30 points, J.J. Redick had a career-high 27 and Orlando used a season-high 17 3-pointers to beat Toronto.

Dwight Howard had 24 points and 11 rebounds, Ryan Anderson scored 20 and the Magic remained unbeaten from three NBA matches following an 8-0 run in the preseason.

Chris Bosh led Toronto with 35 points and 16 rebounds while Andrea Bargnani had 26, including 22 in the second half. Former Magic swingman Hedo Turkoglu had 19 points for Toronto, which has lost two straight following a season-opening victory over Cleveland.

Trail Blazers 83, Thunder 74

At Oklahoma City, Steve Blake scored 18 points and Brandon Roy finished with 16 as Portland earned a split of a two-game trip.

Roy made just four of his first 16 shots before finally finding a way to hurt Oklahoma City at the free throw line. While Kevin Durant continued to misfire on jump shots for the Thunder, Roy worked his way into the lane repeatedly to earn trips to the foul line and help Portland inch away.

His three-point play off a driving layup gave the Trail Blazers a 70-62 lead with 3:59 to play.

Russell Westbrook led Oklahoma City with 23 points but also matched his career-high with nine turnovers. Jeff Green added 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Durant scored 16 points on 3-for-21 shooting as the Thunder shot just 34 percent.

Miami Heat star Wade hits 10,000 career points

MIAMI (AP) – Dwyane Wade topped 10,000 points for his career in the Miami Heat's game against the Chicago Bulls.

Wade, already the Heat all-time scoring leader and last season's NBA scoring champion, made a free throw with 1:32 left in the third quarter Sunday. He entered the game 20 points shy of the mark.

He's the 43rd active NBA player to top the 10,000-point plateau.

A-Rod slams Phillies in Game 4 of MLB World Series

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Alex Rodriguez delivered the biggest hit of his career, a go ahead two-out double in the ninth inning off Brad Lidge as the New York Yankees beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-4 on Sunday night for a 3-1 lead in the World Series.

Derek Jeter delivered all game and Mariano Rivera closed it out as the Yankees moved within one win of their 27th championship, and first since 2000. Rodriguez could really savor this victory — seething after again being hit by a pitch, he struck back with his bat.

"There's no question — I've never had a bigger hit," Rodriguez said.

The Yankees will try to clinch it Monday night when A.J. Burnett faces October ace Cliff Lee.

Of the 42 teams to take a 3-1 lead in the World Series, 36 went on to win the crown. The last club to overcome such a deficit was Kansas City in 1985.

Chase Utley and Pedro Feliz hit late home runs for the Phillies that tied it at 4. Then it moved to the ninth and Phils brought in Lidge — a postseason star last year, he had struggled all season before regaining his touch this October.

But November was not so kind to him.

Lidge had been the only closer in the playoffs who hadn't allowed a run until the Yankees tagged him. With two outs, Johnny Damon capped a nine-pitch at-bat with a single. The Phillies overshifted their infield to the right side for Mark Teixeira and Damon took off.

Damon beat the one-hop throw to steal second, popped up from his slide and noticed no one was covering third. That's because Feliz had handled the throw, and Damon easily beat the third baseman to the bag for a rare double-steal.

Rattled or whatever, Lidge hit Teixeira with a pitch. So up stepped Rodriguez, 1 for 13 to that point in his first World Series and looking nothing like the feared slugger he was earlier in these playoffs.

Putting all his past postseason failures behind, Rodriguez lined a solid double into the left-field corner for a 5-4 lead. Maybe it wasn't such a surprise — Rodriguez had homered and doubled in three prior at-bats against Lidge.

"I get a good pitch and put a good swing on it, good things usually happen," Rodriguez said. "Facing Brad Lidge, he's a great competitor. He's had a lot of success late here. Just trying to make contact there."

Rodriguez stood at second with his 15th RBI, tying the Yankees postseason record shared by Bernie Williams and Scott Brosius. A-Rod's other hit this week came in Game 3 when his double was changed to a home run after an instant replay review.

The crowd was silent when Jorge Posada followed with a two-run single. And just like that, the Yankees were on the verge of celebrating and the defending champion Phillies were on the brink of losing the series.

Feliz rocked Yankees setup man Joba Chamberlain with a two-out, solo home run in the eighth that tied it at 4.

Utley homered again off CC Sabathia, finishing the New York starter in the seventh. It was Utley's third shot off Sabathia in this Series and closed the Phillies to 4-3.