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2012 NHL Playoffs: Coyotes' Shane Doan Avoids Suspension For Hit On Kings' Trevor Lewis

2012-05-16T19:37:59Z

The Phoenix Coyotes got themselves a bit of break on Wednesday as it has been reported that captain Shane Doan will avoid a suspension for his hit on the Los Angeles Kings' Trevor Lewis in game two of their NHL playoff series.

Per the NHL's Senior VP of Player Safety Brendan Shanahan on Twitter:

Doan/Lewis: Lewis turns just prior to the check. No SD. yfrog.com/odw6efinj
— Brendan Shanahan (@NHLShanahan) May 16, 2012

Doan told reporters this after the game about the hit:

"I mean, he [Lewis] turns, he looks right at me," Doan said. "I didn't even look at him again. I was looking down at the puck because I was trying to poke the puck free. He turns away as I'm coming in.''

Great break for Arizona, now the Coyotes just have to figure out a way to get a win against the Kings.

For more in depth discussion and analysis of everything Phoenix Coyotes, make sure that you check out Five For Howling and SB Nation Arizona. For the Los Angeles Kings side of the story, ensure that you head over to Jewels Of The Crown and SB Nation Los Angeles. For more on the NHL playoffs in general, make sure that you check outSB Nation's dedicated NHL hub.

NBA Playoff Schedule and Results: Heat, Clippers Fall, Lakers, Celtics Look To Bounce Back

2012-05-16T17:24:33Z

The NBA Playoffs are starting to tighten up after Tuesday night, possibly signaling a big shift in this year's second season.

The Indiana Pacers topped the Chris Bosh-less Miami Heat 78-75 despite 28 from LeBron James, while the San Antonio Spurs continue their tear, absolutely owning the Los Angeles Clippers 108-92. Can't imagine a Pacers/Spurs final would have as big of a draw as say a Heat/Clippers final, but the cream is rising to the top, and it's doing so with fundamentals and defense.

Here's the NBA Playoff schedule for Wednesday, May 16:

Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT on TNT

The young and energetic 76ers face off with the precise yet timeless Celtics in game three of this series, currently tied at one apiece after Philly stole the last meeting with a Lavoy Allen bank shot with less than a second left. With Paul Pierce slowed with an MCL injury, the other three parts of the big four need to step it up at the Wells Fargo Center tonight.

Los Angeles Lakers at Oklahoma City Thunder 9:30 p.m. ET/ 6:30 p.m. PT on TNT

Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and the rest of the Thunder ran the Lakers into the ground in the first matchup of the series earlier this week 119-90, looking more than capable to deal with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers bigs. OKC will likely have a similar game plan tonight against the Lake Show at Chesapeake Energy Arena, though Mike Brown will have to make som serious adjustments if they want to avoid an early 2-0 hole in this series.

Diamondbacks Vs. Rockies: Series Preview, Pitching Probables, More

2012-05-16T16:59:57Z

The Arizona Diamondbacks stop in for a cup of coffee in Denver.

The Arizona Diamondbacks finally saw some clutch hitting in Los Angeles and came out of their series with the first place Dodgers with a two-game split. Continuing on the road, their next opponents are the Colorado Rockies.

Colorado is struggling much like Arizona has been. They have lost eight of their last 10 games. They are below .500 both on the road and at Coor's Field.

Offensively, they are getting production, but their starting pitching has not been great. Their top starter ERA (for someone with more than two starts) is Juan Nicasio and a 4.65 ERA.

Arizona has struggled offensively with runners in scoring position, that is, aside from Tuesday's game. They hope that they can continue and build on that.

Here are the pitching probables for Wednesday and Thursday:

Wedensday, 5:40 PM: Patrick Corbin (2-1, 4.50) vs. Jaime Moyer (1-3, 4.66)

Thursday, 12:10 PM: Trevor Cahill (2-4, 3.65) vs. Juan Nicasio (2-1, 4.65)

Get more Diamondbacks coverage over at AZ Snakepit.

For the latest AZ sports, follow us on Twitter @SBNArizona and "Like" us on Facebook.

Mercury Cut Three More In Johnson, Reed, And Simon

2012-05-16T16:09:53Z

Just 12 hours after a scrimmage and 6 days before the season opener Corey Gaines and the Phoenix Mercury made a few more roster cuts. The team has let go Amanda Johnson (2012 No. 33 pick), forward Chastity Reed, and local point guard product Dymond Simon out of Arizona State.

These moves are not the last as the team needs to cut the roster down to 11 total players by May 17^th in preparation for the season opener against the Minnesota Lynx.

Johnson and Simon were not full participants in Training Camp, did not play in the exhibition against the Japanese National Team, and were reaches to make the roster. As profiled on draft day Johnson is an elite shooting center that Coach Gaines thought would be a perfect fit in fast breaks as the trailer shooting threes. Then there was Simon who was a part of an overhaul at point guard that now features three options in rookie Samantha Prahalis and newcomers Alexis Hornbuckle and Andrea Riley.

Reed was an interesting cut as she looked good in the scrimmage as a mid-range shooting forward. She plays with a lot of energy and passion. Unfortunately she played a position that was not of major need and was let go because of that.

This is what the roster looks like as of right now:

PG - Andrea Riley

PG - Alexis Hornbuckle

PG - Samantha Prahalis

SG - Diana Taurasi

SG - Alexis Gray-Lawson

F - DeWanna Bonner

F - Candice Dupree

F - Charde Houston

F - Penny Taylor (Injured, out for the year)

C - Nakia Sanford

C - Krystal Thomas

C - Avery Warley

C - Zane Tamane

Of the 13 players left only Taurasi, Taylor, Dupree, and Sanford have more than four years experience in the WNBA. The youth movement has begun and the future of the team could be in the players that make the roster this season.

Two more cuts are coming soon and they will likely come from the center pool that currently has four player. As the Mercury host Media Day on May 16^th more information on roster moves is surely to come out.

Sean Miller Talks Impact Of Mark Lyons, Solomon Hill For Arizona Wildcats

2012-05-16T15:00:31Z

Following a wild past month for the Arizona Wildcats through transfers both into and outgoing from the program, head coach Sean Miller met with the media on Tuesday to discuss a wide range of topics. Among the hottest topics on the agenda: how Mark Lyons will fit into the program, Kevin Parrom's recovery from a broken foot and Solomon Hill moving to his natural position.

Here were news and notes from Miller's press conference:

Coach Miller addressed T.J. McConnell, who transferred from Duquesne and will sit out next season, and thinks his impact in practices will be huge for the Wildcats. Not only will McConnell get to learn the system for once he becomes the starting guard in 2013, but also get to compete and challenge everyone else in practice. Miller mentioned his ties to T.J. and his family, and really gained respect for him after he played against Arizona this past year.
As expected for weeks, the plan is to redshirt Matt Korcheck next year. He will be eligible for two seasons after that. Similar to McConnell, coach Miller was very excited to see what Korcheck brings to the program in practice. He felt Korcheck will develop very nicely once he gets in a full year or practices and working in the weight room.
Miller had nothing but great things to say of Mark Lyons, who recently decided to become a Wildcat after four years at Xavier. Miller praised his work ethic and competitiveness on the court, and feels that his toughness will be huge for the team next season. Look for Lyons to arrive in Tucson around the Fourth of July, just in time for the start of the final summer school session.
After playing the four-spot for much of last year due to a lack of size, Solomon Hill will exclusively play small forward as a senior. Miller also said that Hill has earned 30+ minutes a game due to his talent and experience.
Kevin Parrom's foot is completely healthy after breaking it last January. Coach Miller emphasized just how import Parrom will be to the team given his experience and ability to be a physical presence on the wings. Look for him to play a little bit of small forward behind Hill, and also to see quite a few minutes in the backcourt at the two.
Coach Miller believes the size and strength of his team will be a huge advantage over the competition. He also hinted at many possible lineup combinations, going big or small at any point in the game. Miller feels that the balance on his roster will be huge throughout the long season.
And finally, this might have been the most telling quote from Miller's entire press conference: "I feel like we finally have two feet on the ground."

MLB Mock Draft 2012: Deven Marrero Selected By Pirates In First Round

2012-05-16T14:00:56Z

The Arizona State Sun Devils have a rich history of baseball players making it big in the Major Leagues. All of these players were selected at one point or another at the MLB Draft, whether it be Barry Bonds, Dustin Pedroia or someone else. The 2012 Draft is a little more then a month away, and there is one Sun Devil looking at an early first round selection.

Keith Law of ESPN recently released his first mock draft of the year. According to him, ASU shortstop Deven Marrero will go No. 8 overall to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Most people saw Marrero as a top-five pick coming into the season, but he didn't have a great year for the Sun Devils. However, the entire industry seems to think the Pirates want him here. I have also heard them on Mississippi State right-hander Chris Stratton.

Many love Marrero's upside despite a somewhat disappointing year, but it appears that MLB clubs are still in love with his game. Assuming his glove sticks at shortstop, he has a ton of value moving forward and could hear his name called very early in June. And given the Pirates' lack of shortstop options in their system, Marrero seems like a strong possibility.

For more on Marrero and the Sun Devils, be sure to check out House of Sparky. Stay tuned to the SB Nation Arizona StoryStream for ASU baseball updates throughout the season.

UFC On FUEL TV 3: Results And Bonuses

2012-05-16T13:01:17Z

The Korean Zombie and Dustin Poirier put on a show for MMA fans in Fairfax, Virginia Tuesday night as the headlining bout of UFC on FUEL TV 3 exceeded expectations.

In an action filled main event, Chan Sung Jung (The Korean Zombie) submitted Dustin Poirier by D'arce choke at the 1:07 mark of the fourth round. Jung controlled Poirier on the ground during the first three rounds and cut Poirier on the top of his head with an elbow in the first round.

Poirier survived multiple submission attempts by Jung in the second round as Jung went from armbar to triangle choke during a scramble on the ground. Both men landed vicious strikes on each other and both men were bloodied after the fight. In the fourth round, Jung rocked Poirier with an uppercut and a flying knee, with the dazed Poirier on the ground, Jung locked in the choke and claimed the victory.

Jung earned himself some extra cash as his D'arce choke earned him "Submission of the Night." Jung and Poirier were awarded "Fight of the Night," and Tom Lawlor was awarded "Knockout of the Night" for his first round knockout of Jason McDonald. Bonuses were $40,000 each.

UFC on FUEL TV 3 took place from the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia. The reported attendance for the event was 4,592 for a live gate of $343,175. Full results from the night's action below.

Chan Sung Jung def. Dustin Poirier via submission (D'arce choke) - Round 4, 1:07
Amir Sadollah def. Jorge Lopez via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Donald Cerrone def. Jeremy Stephens via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Yves Jabouin def. Jeff Hougland via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Igor Pokrajac def. Fabio Maldonado via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Tom Lawlor def. Jason McDonald via knockout (punch) - Round 1, 0:50
Brad Tavares def. Dongi Yang via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Cody McKenzie def. Marcus LeVesseur via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 1, 3:05
T.J. Grant def. Carlo Prater via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Rafael Dos Anjos def. Kamal Shalorus via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 1:40
Johnny Eduardo def. Jeff Curran via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Francisco Rivera def. Alex Soto via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Preakness 2012 Field: I'll Have Another, Bodemeister Look To Win Big

2012-05-16T12:01:14Z

The annual running of the Kentucky Derby was a great one, with 'I'll Have Another' taking home the crown. The second stop of the triple crown takes place this weekend at The Preakness Stakes. Just 12 horses remain in the field following a few dropouts, including one from Liaison on Monday. Despite finishing second at The Kentucky Derby two weeks ago, Bodemeister remains the favorite.

These are the probable horses for the 2012 Preakness, their jockey and their primary trainer. They come courtesy of the SB Nation horse raising blog, And Down The Stretch They Come:

Bodemeister - M. Smith, B. Baffert

Cozzetti - J. Lezcano, D. Romans

Creative Cause - J. Rosario, M. Harrington

Daddy Nose Best - J. Leparoux, S. Asmussen

Guyanna Star Dweej - A. Solis, D. Shivmangal

I'll Have Another - M. Gutierrez, D. O'Neill

Optimizer - C. Nakatani, D.W. Lukas

Pretension - J. Santiago, C. Grove

Teeth of the Dog - J. Bravo, M. Matz

Tiger Walk - K. Desormeaux. I. Correas

Went the Day Well - J. Velazquez, G. Motion

Zetterholm - J. Alvarado, R. Dutrow

For full 2012 Preakness Stakes analysis, don't miss SB Nation's horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come.