AFP - Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola believes that Manchester United are the best team in the world but he is confident that if his team are able to dominate possession then they can pass their way to success.

Reuters - Carmelo Anthony scored a game-high 34 points and nine rebounds as the Denver Nuggets upset the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers 106-103 on Thursday to level their Western Conference finals series at 1-1.

AP - President Barack Obama may be a Chicago Bears fan at heart. But at least on Thursday, the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers were his football favorites.

AP - Jason Bay set a Red Sox record with his 11th straight homer with runners on base and Jon Lester rebounded from two bad outings as Boston completed a three-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays with a 5-1 win Thursday night.

AP - After Michael Vick's first few frenzied hours at home, things seemed to settle down.

AP - Robinson Cano helped New York race out to a big lead after losing Joba Chamberlain to a leg injury in the first inning, driving in three runs as the Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 7-4 on Thursday night for their ninth straight win.

AP - Evgeni Malkin put Pittsburgh ahead for good by scoring twice in the third period of his first three-goal playoff performance and the Penguins beat the Carolina Hurricanes 7-4 Thursday night(AP) — to open a two-game lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

AP - Jake Peavy is staying with the San Diego Padres.

AP - It's all even between the Nuggets and Lakers, with Denver's thin air awaiting these two teams in their breathless Western Conference finals showdown.

AFP - Italy are still in with a chance of reaching the final of the World Team Cup here after Andreas Seppi upset Serbia's Viktor Trojcki 6-1, 6-4 on Friday to keep his team's hopes alive.