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From The Associated Press

Celtics storm back, beat Lakers 97-91 in Game 4

LOS ANGELES—In their comeback season, the Celtics saved the biggest one of all for the NBA finals.

Boston rallied from a 24-point deficit and beat the Los Angeles Lakers 97-91 on Thursday night to take a commanding 3-1 lead in this history-rich series and move within one victory of a 17th championship that seemed impossible a year ago.

A rivalry between the league's two most storied franchises — with some of the game's biggest names and biggest moments — now has its biggest rally.

No team had ever overcome more than a 15-point deficit in the first quarter, and although the league doesn't have a record for the largest rally in a finals game, the Celtics staged one that will forever be remembered in the annals of Celtics-Lakers lore.

When the final horn sounded, Paul Pierce, an L.A. kid playing in front of family and friends, doubled over in exhaustion and exuberance. The Celtics, the team he stuck with through 10 years, including a 24-win season in 2006-07, had done the impossible.

Woods feels the pain, narrowly misses par

SAN DIEGO—Tiger Woods grimaced and pursed his lips, unable to disguise the pain Thursday in the U.S. Open.

No, it wasn't his left knee, though that was still tender from surgery.

It was the three-putt to end his round at Torrey Pines, leaving him four shots behind a pair of surprising leaders and one behind Phil Mickelson.

Nothing torments Woods more than that.

He expected soreness in his knee. He didn't expect his first double bogey in 416 holes.

What no one saw coming — certainly not the gallery that stood a dozen deep to watch the All-Star pairing of Woods and Mickelson — was Kevin Streelman and Justin Hicks tied for the lead at 3-under 68.

"To make two double bogeys and a three-putt and only be four back, that's a great position to be in," Woods said after his 1-over 72, "because I know I can clean that up tomorrow."

Stern: NBA referees don't manipulate games

LOS ANGELES—David Stern came to the defense of his beleaguered referees again Thursday, saying they don't manipulate games or engage in other criminal activity.

And just to make sure, the NBA will go back and re-interview every single referee about Tim Donaghy's latest allegations of rigged playoff series in 2002 and 2005.

Speaking to the media at an NBA finals that has been increasingly overshadowed by the Donaghy scandal, the commissioner said Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference finals might have been officiated poorly, but honestly and not illegally.

"On behalf of my officials, I'd like to tell you that they don't engage in the criminal conduct of which Mr. Donaghy has accused them of," Stern said.

Donaghy claimed this week in a court filing that two "company men" worked that game, in which the Los Angeles Lakers used a huge free-throw advantage in the fourth quarter to avoid elimination against Sacramento.

"The allegations about that are incorrect," Stern said. "Not true."

Caps' Ovechkin wins NHL MVP, now seeks the Cup

TORONTO—You can call Alex Ovechkin NHL MVP. What the Washington Capitals young star really wants is to be known as Stanley Cup champion.

Ovechkin capped off a special season Thursday night by capturing the NHL's two most prestigious individual awards. He won the Hart Trophy as league MVP and the Lester B. Pearson Award as the players' choice for the most outstanding player.

"I think I'm the happiest 22-year-old guy on the planet," Ovechkin said. "I want to win everything, so next year maybe the Stanley Cup."

The trophy haul already included the Rocket Richard Trophy with a league-best 65 goals and the Art Ross Trophy with 112 points.

Ovechkin, the first player to score 60 goals since Mario Lemieux in 1996, earned 128 of 134 first-place Hart votes from the Professional Hockey Writers' Association.

Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau, hired after Washington's woeful start, earned the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's top bench boss. The only damper in the nation's capital came when Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom was edged by Chicago's Patrick Kane for rookie of the year.

Kane, who led rookies with 72 points (21 goals, 51 assists) in 82 games, is the first Blackhawks player to win the Calder since goalie Ed Belfour in 1990-91. He also edged Chicago linemate Jonathan Toews for the award.

While Kane got his first taste of the NHL awards, it was all very familiar for Nicklas Lidstrom. The captain of the Red Wings captured his sixth Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman, moving him two behind Bobby Orr's eight and one behind Doug Harvey.

D-backs withstand Santana, wallop Wagner at Shea

NEW YORK—Billy Wagner’s big slump has come at a terrible time for the New York Mets.

The beleaguered closer coughed up his third consecutive save chance, this time wasting a splendid pitching performance by Johan Santana and allowing the Arizona Diamondbacks to rally past New York 5-4 in 10 innings Thursday.

“It’s frustrating,” Wagner said. “I stink right now.”

Justin Upton doubled leading off the 10th against Aaron Heilman (0-3) and scored on Miguel Montero’s sacrifice fly to help the Diamondbacks take two of three in the series.

Third baseman Augie Ojeda and shortstop Stephen Drew made diving plays in the bottom of the ninth to keep the score tied.

After Santana struck out 10 in seven shutout innings, Wagner squandered a two-run lead in the ninth and screamed at himself several times while walking back to the dugout.

The left-hander also gave up a go-ahead homer to San Diego pinch-hitter Tony Clark in Sunday’s 8-6 loss and a tying, three-run shot to Mark Reynolds on Wednesday night. The Mets recovered to win that one on Carlos Beltran’s 13th-inning homer, ending a five-game skid.

Santana tossed three-hit ball, outpitching Arizona’s Dan Haren in a marquee matchup. But it was the third time in Santana’s 14 starts that his bullpen cost him a win, including two blown saves by Wagner.

Ogden doesn’t ‘toe’ line about retirement

OWINGS MILLS, Md.—There was no crying, no second-guessing and absolutely no remorse. Jonathan Ogden wore a broad, toothy smile Thursday as the left tackle announced his retirement after a 12-year career in which he established himself as one of the greatest offensive linemen in NFL history.

Ogden was selected to play in 11 Pro Bowls, and he probably would have made it an even dozen had he opted to return for another season with the Baltimore Ravens. But because he couldn’t operate at peak efficiency with a hyperextended left big toe, the decision to call it a career was relatively easy.

“When you play football for as long as I have, it’s really difficult to know injuries just won’t let you play at the level that you all and myself expect me to play,” the 33-year-old Ogden said in a packed auditorium that included at least 15 of his former teammates.

Ogden has always been a perfectionist, but the Ravens would have been happy to have him back at less than 100 percent. Because even then, Ogden would still be better than almost everyone else at opening up running lanes and protecting the quarterback.

Former Ravens guard Edwin Mulitalo, who lined up next to Ogden for seven years, said, “What Ray Lewis and Junior Seau are to linebackers, what Jerry Rice is to wide receivers, Jonathan Ogden is to offensive linemen.”

Ogden’s retirement comes during an offseason in which stars such Brett Favre, Michael Strahan and Warren Sapp also stepped aside. Asked his thoughts about potentially being part of a memorable Hall of Fame class in 2013, Ogden said, “Honestly, just to be mentioned in that whole discussion is truly an honor for me.”