AP - The Pittsburgh Penguins' formula in the Stanley Cup playoffs has been strikingly simple: Open at home, get two quick victories, then never give the opponent an opening to get back into a series that ends very quickly.

AFP - As Chelsea beat a weary retreat from Moscow after their Champions League final defeat, Avram Grant's side were facing up to the end of an era.

AP - Khalil Greene hit two solo home runs, and Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Kouzmanoff each hit two-run shots to back starter Randy Wolf in the San Diego Padres' 8-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday night.

AP - The Big Three has a big problem: The Detroit Pistons now own the home-court advantage that has meant everything to the Boston Celtics so far in the playoffs.

AP - J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell hit grand slams to help Diasuke Matsuzaka remain unbeaten, and the Boston Red Sox completed a sweep of their seven-game homestand with an 11-8 win over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday.

AP - Brad Lidge returned to Houston on Thursday night and looked like his old, overpowering self. Only this time, he was pitching for the visiting team.

AP - Carlos Quentin hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning and the Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Indians 3-1 Thursday night for their eighth straight victory.

AP - Young left-hander Andrew Miller keeps getting better, and so does his team, the surprising Florida Marlins. Miller limited the Arizona Diamondbacks to five hits in seven innings Thursday night, and Florida won 4-0 to complete a series sweep in a showdown of first-place teams.

AP - The Detroit Pistons proved that a visiting team can win in Boston. Now they can reach the NBA finals without having to do it again.

Reuters - New York Yankees reliever LaTroy Hawkins has been suspended for three games for intentionally throwing a pitch at the head of Baltimore Orioles' Luke Scott, Major League Baseball said on Thursday.

AP - Even Spurs coach Gregg Popovich knew the Lakers' Kobe Bryant was just biding his time.

AP - Tony Granato returned as coach of the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, four years after he was demoted from the job.

AP - Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers waited until the third quarter to get going. Once they did, the San Antonio Spurs couldn't stop them. Bryant scored all but two of his 27 points after halftime, including a go-ahead, 10-foot jumper in the lane with 23.9 seconds remaining, and the Lakers rallied from a 20-point deficit to beat the Spurs 89-85 on Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

AP - Manchester United beat Chelsea 6-5 in a rain-soaked penalty shootout to win the European Champions League title Wednesday night following a 1-1 tie.