Sports 2000

After four days of the season, 20 NBA teams have lost at least once. The teams still have 80 or 81 games remaining but the slightest bit of separation has already occurred.

In the Eastern Conference, defending champion Boston and up-and-coming Toronto are 2-0. Atlanta, Detroit and New Jersey are 1-0. Chicago, Cleveland, Miami and Milwaukee are holding steady at 1-1. Charlotte, Indiana and Washington sit at 0-1. Orlando is in the basement at 0-2.

In the Western Conference, Houston and New Orleans are 2-0. So are the reigning conference champions, the Los Angeles Lakers. Minnesota and Utah are each 1-0. Denver, Memphis, Phoenix and Portland are in the middle at 1-1. Dallas and Oklahoma City are 0-1. Perennial power San Antonio is surprisingly stuck at 0-2. Sharing the bottom also are Golden State, the L.A. Clippers and Sacramento.

The Texas Longhorns have been more than tested the past few weeks. The Longhorns have beaten Oklahoma, Missouri and Oklahoma State in consecutive weeks. All three teams are currently ranked in the top 14. The prize is the top spot in the BCS standings.

Next is a road game against undefeated Texas Tech. Should Texas win Saturday, it will almost certainly finish the regular season unbeaten. Only contests against Big 12 bottomfeeders Baylor and Texas A&M, plus a game against underachieving Kansas, would remain. Avoid a misstep and Texas would win the Big 12 South and face the Big 12 North champion in the conference title game Dec. 6. At this point, that opponent would probably be Missouri. The Tigers lost to Texas Oct. 18, 56-31.

Another key game Saturday features Georgia battling Florida. The winner will most likely claim the SEC East crown and maintain hopes of playing for the national championship. A big question will be which star offensive player can perform better. Either Gator quarterback Tim Tebow or Bulldog running back Knowshon Moreno will lead his team to victory.

The Philadelphia Phillies battled cold and windy conditions tonight and won Game 5 of the World Series, 4-3. Philadelphia claimed the series against the Tampa Bay Rays, four games to one, and earned its second Major League Baseball championship in 126 years of existence. The first title came in 1980.

Series Most Valuable Player Cole Hamels was scheduled to be the first batter Wednesday as play resumed in the bottom of the sixth inning with the score tied at 2. Instead, pinch-hitter Geoff Jenkins doubled and later scored on a single by Jayson Werth. Tampa Bay’s Rocco Baldelli smacked a game-tying home run in the seventh inning. Later in the inning, Jason Bartlett tried to score from second on an infield single but Chase Utley’s throw to the plate was in time for catcher Carlos Ruiz to apply the tag.

Pat Burrell doubled to deep left-center to start the bottom of the seventh inning. A groundout advanced pinch-runner Eric Brunlett to third. Pedro Feliz’s single scored Brunlett with what proved to be the winning run.

Tampa Bay managed one hit in each of the last two innings but couldn’t get the tying run past second base. Phillie closer Brad Lidge struck out Eric Hinske to earn the save and clinch the championship for Philadelphia.