Bryant-inspired Lakers trounce Magic

Kobe Bryant inspired the Los Angeles Lakers to a dominant 100-75 home win over Orlando Magic in the first game of the 2009 NBA Finals. The All-Star guard contributed 40 points, nine rebounds and eight assists to power his side to victory in front of a sell out crowd at the Staples Center in his sixth appearance in the finals. Firepower was also provided by Pau Gasol, who chipped in with 16 points, and Lamar Odom who scored 11 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for the Lakers as the Magic were left adrift.

Share

Top seed Safina reaches French Open final

Women’s top seed Dinara Safina reached her second successive French Open final with a straight-sets semifinal victory over Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova on Thursday. The world number one posted a 6-3 6-3 success in an hour and 41 minutes and is now just one more victory away from a first-ever grand slam title.

Share

Shattered Serena exits French Open

Former winner Serena Williams crashed out of the French Open on Wednesday leaving seventh-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova to face Australian Samantha Stosur for a place in the final at Roland Garros. Kuznetsova fended off a determined fightback by U.S. world number two Williams to reach the last four with a draining 7-6 5-7 7-5 triumph over the 10-time Grand Slam champion in two hours 46 minutes.

Share

Superb Soderling sweeps into Paris semis

Swede Robin Soderling swept into his first career Grand Slam semifinal with a spectacular 6-1 6-3 6-1 demolition of Russian 10th seed Nikolay Davydenko at the French Open on Tuesday. The 23rd-seeded Soderling had inflicted a first Roland Garros defeat on four-time defending champion Rafael Nadal in the previous round and was in equally impressive form as he saw off his Russian rival

Share

Early storms don’t foretell busy hurricane season

Today’s not only the first of the month or the start of the summer season meteorologically: It’s the first day of hurricane season 2009. On this day, forecasters often begin speculating about when the season’s first storm will form in the Atlantic. There’s no need to wonder about that this year, because there’s already been a tropical depression — before the official season even began

Share

Unpublished photos of Marilyn Monroe surface

They were taken before Marilyn Monroe became branded as the voluptuous blonde who oozed sex appeal in dozens of Hollywood films. They were taken before rumors of an affair with President John F. Kennedy swirled and her mental breakdowns became public.

Share