Florida Sentinel Bulletin

SAN ANTONIO—Whatever dream world Danny Green has slipped into over the five games of these NBA Finals, Spurs center Tim Duncan has but one wish: “I hope he doesn’t wake up.”

It took just five games for Green to match and surpass the 3-point record for an NBA Finals, besting the 22 that Ray Allen made for Boston in the 2010 Finals—a seven-game series. Consider that Green shot 6-for-10 from the 3-point line in Sunday night’s 114-104 win for the Spurs, and in doing so, actually dropped his shooting numbers from the arc, which had been at 67.9 percent.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A contrite Chad Johnson apologized Monday for disrespecting a judge when the former NFL star slapped his attorney on the backside in court last week, and his immediate release from jail was ordered.

Broward County Circuit Judge Kathleen McHugh accepted Johnson’s apology and cut his 30-day jail term for a probation violation to the seven days he had already served since the rear-swatting incident.

Johnson, a flamboyant wide receiver formerly known as Chad Ochocinco, said in court that he’d had time to think about why his flippant attitude was wrong — especially in a domestic violence case. “I just wanted to apologize for disrespecting the court last time,” said Johnson, wearing a tan jail jumpsuit with his hands shackled at the waist. “I apologize. I did have time to reflect on the mistakes I made in this courtroom.”

Terrell Owens Visits Chad Johnson In Jail

You can call Terrell Owens a lot of things—a diva, a future Hall of Famer and even a good friend. On Saturday, Owens visited his former teammate Chad Johnson behind bars and tweeted about the experience.

The New York Giants have finally hammered out a deal for superstar receiver Victor Cruz, retaining the wide receiver’s services for next year.

The fourth-year wideout will sign his restricted free-agent tender. Cruz avoided getting into a messy situation with his contract negotiations by signing his tender.

Former Atlanta Hawks hoops star Mookie Blaylock was involved in a head-on collision last month that killed a married mother of five.

After a week in the hospital, Blaylock surrendered and was placed in the Clayton County jail last Monday (June 10). After posting bond on Wednesday, Blaylock was immediately shipped to another jail yesterday afternoon for a probation violation.

Blaylock’s struggles began on May 31, where he claims a medical event led him to drive his SUV over a center line, striking and killing 43-year-old Monica Murphy while driving with her husband in a minivan. Blaylock’s attorney, who said his client had a medical emergency that caused him to black out behind the wheel.

Individual tickets to the Sunday, Sept. 15 game against the New Orleans Saints will go on sale on to the public on Wednesday, June 19, several weeks before the rest of the 2013 slate is available

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced Monday that, starting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 19, tickets for the team’s September 15 regular-season home opener will go on sale to the public.

Individual tickets to the game, which features a 4:05 p.m. kickoff against the division-rival New Orleans Saints, are being offered for sale several weeks before the remaining home slate.

Buccaneers Pewter Partners and sponsors, as well as Season Pass Members, will be offered a special presale opportunity, beginning at 10 a.m. on Monday, June 17.

Tickets are available starting as low as $30, and fans may purchase tickets on Buccaneers.com.

The San Antonio Spurs avenged their Game 2 loss by giving the Miami Heat a taste of their own medicine in Game 3 — and then some.

The Spurs stomped Miami to the tune of 113-77, one of the biggest routs in NBA Finals history.

LeBron James, who has been passive all series long, took full responsibility for the Heat’s loss (after scoring just 15 points on 7-of-21 shooting), and told the media that he has to play better if the defending champions are going to have any hope of winning.

“I’ve got to just play better,” James said. “I can’t have a performance like that and expect to win. I’ve got to shoot the ball better. I’ve got to make better decisions, and I will get into the film and see ways that I can do that. I’m not putting blame on anybody. I’m owning everything that I did tonight.” […] He wound up 7-for-21, had one offensive rebound, blocked no shots, logged five assists and is averaging 16.3 points so far in The Finals. Oh, and he didn’t shoot even one free throw. The four-time MVP did something that hadn’t happened to him in the playoffs since 2007 and in a game — period — since 2009. “I went a whole game without shooting a free throw, to show you where my game was tonight,” he said.

“I’ve got to be better. It’s that simple,” he said postgame for the third or fourth time in a span of six minutes. “If I’m better, we’re better. And I’ve got to be better. I’m putting everything on my chest, on my shoulders. I’ve got to be better. It’s that simple. My teammates are doing a good job, and I’m not doing my part.”

MIAMI — The backside pat former NFL star Chad Johnson gave his lawyer in court was not meant as disrespect to a judge and certainly wasn’t something that warrants a 30-day jail sentence, the attorney said Tuesday in a motion seeking another chance.

Adam Swickle asked Broward County Circuit Judge Kathleen McHugh to reconsider the sentence she imposed Monday. Johnson had reached a deal with prosecutors for community service and counseling to resolve a probation violation from his no-contest plea last year to battery on his then-wife, TV star Evelyn Lozada.

McHugh, just elected last August to her first term on the bench, seemed poised to approve the plea deal until Johnson’s backside pat of Swickle triggered a wave of laughter in the court. The judge then angrily said she wouldn’t sign off and tossed the six-time Pro Bowler formerly known as Chad Ochocinco in jail.

Just one year after completing an 11-year prison sentence, former WBA welterweight champion James Page has been accused of robbing eight banks.

Page, who is suspected of robbing eight banks over the past three months in the San Francisco Bay Area, was arrested on Monday. The 42-year-old was booked on one count of robbery and is being held on $395,000 bail.

This isn’t Page’s first issue with bank robberies, as he was found guilty of robbing a Bank of America in Atlanta back in 2001, which led to his decade-plus spent behind bars.

Page won the WBA welterweight championship vacated by Ike Quartey in 1998 when he knocked out Russia’s Andrey Pestryaev. Page, who went by the nickname “Mighty Quinn,” successfully defended the belt three times before being stripped and ultimately losing to Andrew Lewis in his bid to regain the title.

The Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs, 103-84, in Game 2 of the NBA Finals Sunday night to even the series at 1-1.

In a series so heavily focused on the superstars, it was the play of the Heat supporting cast that helped tie things up as the scene shifts to San Antonio.

Suffocated by Kawhi Leonard’s defense throughout, Lebron James didn’t look like his usual, aggressive self. However, he broke out down the stretch and was able to finish with a respectable line of 17 points (7-of-17 shooting), eight rebounds, seven assists, three steals and three blocks in 41 minutes.

Mario Chalmers redeemed himself after a 3-of-10 performance in Game 1, scoring a game-high 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting (2-of-4 from three) Sunday night.

Elsewhere, Dwyane Wade totaled 10 points and six assists in 30 minutes, while Chris Bosh posted 12 points and grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds in 31 minutes of action.

After watching the Spurs shoot 7-of-10 from three in the first half, the Heat found their groove toward the end of the third quarter. As the Spurs went cold from distance, the Heat caught fire. Miami finished the night shooting 52.6 percent (10-of-19) from three compared to 50 percent (10-of-20) for San Antonio.