SPORTS N STUFF

The Arizona Cardinals addressed a need to improve their pass rush on Saturday by selecting outside linebacker Sam Acho from Texas in the fourth round.

Acho did not expect the Cardinals to pick him.

“I hadnt heard from them in the last couple of months, so its a complete shocker to me,” he said.

Still, he said he was elated.

At 6-foot-1, 257 pounds, Acho played outside linebacker for two seasons in college before switching to defensive end as a junior.

“I can learn that position easily. I played it before,” he said. “I have a good feel for it. As a matter of fact, my younger brother who goes to Texas plays outside linebacker, so he and I have worked together. I feel really great about it.”

Achos parents emigrated from Nigeria and each summer he returns there with his brother and father on a medical mission.

He recently was named the nations top scholar-athlete by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame. Acho, who is fluent in Spanish, has a degree in business honors and marketing.

He believes his intelligence is a great benefit as a player.

“It helps me immensely, being a smart football player,” Acho said. “Ninety percent of the game is mental and so you have to be able to understand plays, understand defenses, understand other teams offenses and know how to react within a defense. My smarts off the field are really going to help me on the field as well.”

He was the second defensive player chosen out of the first four by Arizona, following first rounder Patrick Peterson, a touted LSU cornerback selected by the Cardinals as the fifth choice overall. In the second and third rounds on Friday, the Cardinals turned to offense, picking running back Ryan Williams and tight end Rob Housler.

The St. Louis Rams selected their second straight wide receiver in the NFL draft, taking Hawaiis Greg Salas in the fourth round.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Salas, chosen with the 112th overall selection on Saturday, had a very productive senior season with 119 receptions for 1,889 yards and 14 touchdowns. He topped 100 receptions each of the last two seasons and with 285 career receptions is third on the WAC career list.

Like wide receiver Austin Pettis of Boise State, taken in the third round on Friday, lack of speed may have held him back.

St. Louis took tight end Lance Kendricks of Wisconsin in the second round. The Rams opened the draft by taking North Carolina defensive end Robert Quinn with the 14th overall pick.

Alex White is making his major league debut for the Cleveland Indians, getting called up from Triple-A Columbus to pitch against Detroit.

The right-hander was the clubs first-round pick in 2009 and is starting Saturday in place of Carlos Carrasco. He went on the disabled list this week with a strained elbow.

White was 1-0 with a 1.90 ERA in four starts with Columbus. He had 28 strikeouts in 23 2-3 innings.

Manager Manny Acta said Whites stay will depend on Carrascos recovery and how well White pitches against the Tigers.

White was the 15th overall pick two years ago after starring at North Carolina. He was named the organizations top minor league pitcher last season.

The Indians optioned reliever Frank Herrmann to Columbus to make room for White.

Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling is set to deliver the commencement address at the New England Institute of Technology in Rhode Island.

The school will also confer honorary degrees on Schilling and Ray Di Pasquale, Rhode Islands commissioner of higher education.

Schilling, who is now a video game entrepreneur, will deliver the speech at the schools Sunday commencement.

Schilling was a vital part of Bostons World Series-winning teams in 2007 and 2004, when the Red Sox won their first championship since 1918. He retired in 2009.

More than 1,300 students will receive degrees from the school Sunday. The commencement will be held at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence.

CBSSports. If the Tampa Bay Lightning and their 41-year-old goalie, Dwayne Roloson, were exhausted, they sure hid it well.

Sean Bergenheim scored early, Steven Stamkos added the go-ahead goal on a power play, and Roloson made 26 saves, helping the Lightning beat Alex Ovechkin and the top-seeded Washington Capitals 4-2 on Friday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

“I dont know about us being tired,” said Bergenheim, who scored 2:12 into the game. “I dont feel it right now.”

Steve Downie had a goal and an assist, Dominic Moore added an empty-netter with 40 seconds left for the fifth-seeded Lightning, who have won four straight games since falling behind Pittsburgh 3-1 in the first round.

Roloson got the shutout, and Bergenheim provided the only goal when Tampa Bay won at Pittsburgh 1-0 in Game 7 on Wednesday night. The Lightning flew straight to Washington that night, crawling into their hotel beds after 3 a.m. Thursday.

They were back on the ice for a 7 p.m. faceoff Friday.

“It was good for us, in a way,” Tampa Bay center Nate Thompson said. “We kind of get right back at it and dont have a lot of time off. Were still in game mode.”

That they were.

The Lightnings get-ahead-and-focus-on-defense strategy confounded the Capitals.

Ovechkin was held without a point and limited to two sho making Tampa Bays penalty killers 39 for 40 this postseason.

“They make it frustrating,” Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said. “They just hang back, and youre trying to push. Theyre very good at it.”

Roloson only needed to make five saves in the third period but happy with it,” said the goalie, acquired from the New York Islanders on New Years Day. “We were lucky to win a hockey game. We had some bounces.”

Thats true. For example, the Lightning trailed 2-1 but tied it with 3:43 left in the second period, when Downie was trying to center the puck, but his pass deflected off defenseman Scott Hannans stick and fluttered over goalie Michal Neuvirths right shoulder.

And Stamkos goal came with 31.6 seconds remaining in the period, when Neuvirth stopped his initial try but the puck came right back to the forward, who put in the rebound.

That power play came when Jason Chimera was sent off for roughing after a hit on Pavel Kubina, who didnt play in the third period. That call drew boos from the home fans. Those jeers only grew louder, naturally, when Stamkos converted the extra-man chance.

That finished reversing the 2-1 lead Washington built with goals by Alexander Semin and Eric Fehr.

The Lightning played most of Fridays game without veteran left wing Simon Gagne, who was helped to the dressing room after his helmet banged on the ice when he fell hard following a hit by Hannan in the first period. The Lightning said Gagne and Kubina would be re-evaluated Saturday.

Game 2 is Sunday night at Washington.

Boudreau chastised his players for engaging in what he called “river hockey” – the sort of back-and-forth, wide-open style the Capitals used to rely on before making a concerted effort to focus on defe and the Capitals allowed the New York Rangers to score a grand total of two goals in the three games played at Washington. The Lightning surpassed that total in a span of two periods.

“We played too cute and took penalties, and that cost us,” Ovechkin said. “First period, last 10 minutes, we play our game. First 10 minutes, second (period), we play good. After that, we let them play their game.”

While the Lightning might have been weary, the Capitals could have been rusty. They wrapped up their series against the Rangers in five games last Saturday and had nearly a week off. Boudreau made light of the “Rest vs. Rust” story line Thursday, but perhaps there was something to it.

Neuvirth finished with 20 saves Friday. He entered the day leading the NHL with a 1.38 goals-against average and second with a .946 save percentage. No. 1 in the save category? Roloson.

One key Friday: The Lightning held the edge in special teams play.

“Guys are taking away passing lanes. Blocking shots, obviously. Trying to take away time and space,” Thompson said. “And then your best penalty-killer is going to be your goaltender, and Roli has been that for us.”

Notes

Capitals D John Carlson played only 36 seconds in the third period, and Boudreau said he was day to day. “Im hoping he can go Sunday,” Boudreau said. Washington C Nicklas Backstroms goal drought reached 13 games and he acknowledged he might be starting to try too hard to score. “Thats what happens when you struggle,” he said. The Capitals had an apparent goal waved off 13 1/2 minutes in, when officials ruled Brooks Laich kicked the puck past Roloson.

CBSSports.com The and believers.

Zach Randolph had 31 points and 11 rebounds and the Grizzlies advanced to their first Western Conference semifinals and made NBA history in knocking off the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs 99-91 on Friday night.

Memphis had been the franchise best known for empty seats and the unenviable NBA mark for playoff futility at 0-12 after being swept in its first three appearances. This time, a third straight sellout crowd cheered every basket with a couple of signs begging the Grizzlies to “Finish Them” in a town desperately needing a hero.

The Grizzlies needed 10 seasons in Memphis, but they have become just that as only the second No. 8 seed to upset a No. 1 seed since the NBA expanded the opening series to a best-of-7.

Now Memphis coach Lionel Hollins sees a great opportunity for the Grizzlies to do something really special.

More on Spurs at Grizzles Gary Parish
Grizzlies make history with Game 6 win over Spurs. Full Story Related links Moore:End of an empire? Message Board: Spurs | Grizzlies More playoffs coverage
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“Not a lot of people knew about us coming in, but we certainly have made some noise and turned some heads and got some attention that probably wouldnt have been given to us if wed lost this series,” Hollins said. “Wed just be another eight seed losing to the No. 1 seed.”

They will open the second round in Oklahoma City on Sunday.

Marc Gasol had 12 points and 13 rebounds for Memphis. Tony Allen added 11 points, and rookie Greivis Vasquez had 11 off the bench playing 24 minutes with Mike Conley in foul trouble most of the game.

Tony Parker led San Antonio with 23 points, Manu Ginobili had 16, Tim Duncan 12 and Antonio McDyess 10.

The Spurs led only twice at 2-0 and again at 80-79 when McDyess hit a 15-footer with 4:41 left.

Thats when Randolph, the man cast off and unwanted before he arrived in Memphis in the summer of 2009, took over and scored 17 of the Grizzlies 29 points in the fourth quarter.

“From a pick-me-up perspective, we just got on his back, and we rode him like he was an English warhorse,” Hollins said. “He was really carrying us, We were just hanging on.”

Randolph scored 10 of the next 14 for Memphis, with his hook putting Memphis ahead to stay at 81-80. Conley added a jumper, then Randolph hit a fallaway jumper, two free throws and another fallaway jumper for an 89-82 lead with 1:55 left. Randolph went to the bench to a huge cheer with 3.4 seconds left.

“Emotion is high, not just for the Memphis Grizzlies but for the whole city of Memphis and the fans,” Randolph said. “Its something. Its a great accomplishment. Weve got to be happy. We should be happy. But its a quick turnaround. Weve got a game Sunday, and we have to get ready.”

The Spurs, winners of 61 games in the regular season and the dynasty with four NBA titles with Duncan, turned the ball over three straight times while Randolph was putting away this franchises biggest win. One desperate pass from Ginobili went right off Parkers hands.

“We played well all season long,” Parker said. “As you know, it doesnt mean anything if you dont play well in the playoffs, and overall Memphis played better than us. Have to give them credit. Had a chance at the end, up one, 5 minutes to go. We didnt make the plays we needed to play.”

San Antonio had gotten a reprieve with Gary Neals clutch 3 getting the Spurs to overtime as they staved off elimination Wednesday night. But the Spurs talked of how lucky they were to pull out a game when they had their bags packed for the offseason.

“We were hoping at some point that they would fold under the pressure, make some mistakes through that pressure and they didnt,” Duncan said. “They did the exact opposite. They made every play they needed to make, they took care of the ball, they got the shots they wanted to get, and their guys made the shots when they needed to.”

Ginobili also had a big shot to help the Spurs stay alive. This game, he had an even more amazing shot, beating the buzzer at the end of the third quarter as he tossed up the ball from half court off balance and trying to beat the clock. He had been 3 of 10 from the floor before that lucky attempt pulled the Spurs to 70-66.

Forward Shane Battier called it a perfect team effort by the Grizzlies against a team in the Spurs that never quit.

“Those guys are like vampires. Were trying to kill them, but they kept getting up. We kept missing the heart,” Battier said. “When [Matt] Bonner is hitting bank 3s and Ginobili is hitting a halfcourt shot at halftime, `Youre saying, `Gosh, go away. Please go away.”

It just wasnt enough for a team that couldnt beat the Grizzlies in Memphis during the regular season and or the postseason. The Spurs ended this season dropping nine of the last 10 on the road and 16 of the last 19 in the postseason away from San Antonio.

Asked if this was a big upset, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich defended the strength of the Western Conference.

“It doesnt matter what your seeding is in the West. As has been evidenced year after year, we all know that everybodys basically as good as everybody else,” Popovich said.

The Grizzlies were criticized for ending the regular season with two losses. Hollins rested Randolph and Allen with critics accusing them of trying to avoid the Lakers and draw the Spurs.

Popovich credited Memphis athleticism with really hurt a team that had been the NBAs best 3-point shooters. The Spurs shot only 31 percent through the first five games and were just 5-of-22 Friday night.

“They closed out really well, sagged in the paint and were still able to close out on shooters, and its a credit to them,” Popovich said.

Parker opened the game with a pair of free throws, then the Grizzlies took over. Allen scored on a floater in the lane, Randolph tipped in the ball as the start of 10 straight points by the Grizzlies. That prompted Popovich to scream at a referee for a timeout. But Vasquez and Allen scored for a 14-0 spurt before Parker finally answered with a layup.

For Memphis, it was almost as dominant as the third quarter of Game 4 when the Grizzlies outscored the Spurs 30-15. This time, the Spurs didnt score from the floor for the first five minutes as the Grizzlies opened with a 28-16 lead after the first 12 minutes and led by as much as 14. The Spurs had six turnovers in the period.

Duncan, who turned 35 on Monday, looked every bit of those years early as he almost stumbled trying to drive to the basket. He later added an emphatic dunk that pulled the Spurs within 46-43 at halftime.

Notes

Memphis hadnt scored more than 44 points in the paint in the series until Friday night. The Grizzlies outscored San Antonio 62-38 in the paint and outrebounded them 43-32. The Grizzlies even had a big edge at the free throw line, 22 of 30, compared to 12 of 14 for the Spurs.

DAVIE, Fla. — Miami Dolphins receiver Brandon Marshall has visited the team complex less than a week after his wife was charged with stabbing him with a kitchen knife.

Marshall was among more than a dozen Dolphins at headquarters Friday after a federal judge declared the NFL lockout illegal and the league lifted restrictions on team contact with players.

Marshall was briefly hospitalized after being stabbed in the abdomen and is expected to fully recover. The Dolphins were in contact with him Thursday. He spoke by phone with general manager Jeff Ireland.

Quarterback Chad Henne arrived at headquarters in his convertible with the top down. Others dropping by included tight end Anthony Fasano, fullback Lousaka Polite, linebacker Channing Crowder and nose tackle Paul Soliai.

The only one stopping to talk with reporters was Fasano as he departed.

“I got a flight to catch,” Fasano said. “Ill be at work on Monday.”

Marshalls wife, Michi Nogami-Marshall, was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon last Friday. An arrest report said Nogami-Marshall told officers she was defending herself in the confrontation.

Miami Dolphins receiver Brandon Marshall visited the team complex Friday less than a week after his wife was charged with stabbing him with a kitchen knife.

Marshall was among more than a dozen Dolphins at headquarters after a federal judge declared the NFL lockout illegal and the league lifted restrictions on team contact with players.

Marshall was briefly hospitalized after being stabbed in the abdomen and is expected to fully recover. He spoke by phone with general manager Jeff Ireland on Thursday.

Marshalls wife, Michi Nogami-Marshall, was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon last week. She told officers she was defending herself, according to an arrest report.

Quarterback Chad Henne also arrived at headquarters – in his convertible with the top down. Others dropping by included tight end Anthony Fasano, fullback Lousaka Polite, linebacker Channing Crowder and nose tackle Paul Soliai.

The only one stopping to talk with reporters was Fasano.

“I got a flight to catch,” he said as he departed. “Ill be at work on Monday.”

The Cleveland Indians have reinstated infielder Jason Donald from the 15-day disabled list and optioned him to Triple-A Columbus.

Donald was in line to be the clubs starting third baseman before he broke his left hand in spring training when he got hit by a pitch on March 4. In his absence, Jack Hannahan has staked a claim to the everyday job at third, playing solid defense and hitting better than expected.

Cleveland has won 10 straight games at home and leads the AL Central by 4 1/2 games.

The Indians also got back infielder Josh Rodriguez from the Pittsburgh. The club lost him when he was selected by the Pirates in Decembers Rule 5 draft.

The 26-year-old was 1 for 12 to start the season with Pittsburgh. Rodriguez has been optioned to Columbus.

Atlanta Braves pitcher Derek Lowe was charged with drunken driving, another blow to a team already dealing with allegations that pitching coach Roger McDowell spewed homophobic comments before a game in San Francisco last weekend.

Gordy Wright, a spokesman for the Georgia State Patrol, said a trooper stopped Lowes vehicle about 10 p.m. Thursday after it was spotted racing another car down an Atlanta street. The trooper detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage and administered a field sobriety test, which resulted in Lowes arrest.

The 37-year-old right-hander was charged with DUI, reckless driving and improper lane change, Wright said. Lowe declined to take a breath test before he was released, the spokesman added. The other driver also was stopped, but there were no immediate details on whether he was charged.

The Braves were off Thursday after returning home from a West Coast road trip. They open a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night.

“Obviously we are concerned and disappointed about the events involving Derek Lowe overnight,” the team said in a statement. “We are currently gathering information and plan to address this matter later today.”

Lowe, who could not immediately be reached for comment, is in the third season of a four-year, $60 million contract with the Braves. He has been the teams opening-day starter all three years.

This season, Lowe is 2-3 with a 3.21 earned run average. He is scheduled to make his next start Sunday.

The Braves already were investigating allegations against McDowell, who was accused of making crude comments, sexual gestures and threatened to knock out a fans teeth with a bat. The coach could face disciplinary action from the team or Major League Baseball.

“I am deeply sorry that I responded to the heckling fans in San Francisco,” McDowell said in a statement, his only public comments on the incident. “I apologize to everyone for my actions.”

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation said McDowells apology was only a start, and baseball commissioner Bud Selig called the accusations “very troubling.” MLB is awaiting the results of the Braves investigation before determining whether to take action.

McDowell was a star reliever with the Mets and Philadelphia Phillies in the late 1980s and early 90s, playing a key role on New Yorks 1986 World Series-winning club.

He has been the Atlantas pitching coach since 2005.

—

Associated Press Writer Leonard Pallats contributed to this report.