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BASKETBALL: Flynn to come close to home in December
Basketball fans, get your border-crossing documents in order before December.
Jonny Flynn and the Minnesota Timberwolves will make their lone trip to Toronto Dec. 8 to play the Raptors. It will be the first visit Flynn and his new team will make this season to an NBA arena near Niagara Falls.
On Jan. 26, Flynn will return to the Madison Square Garden floor where he starred for Syracuse in the Big East Tournament when the Timberwolves play the New York Knicks. The next night, Minnesota travels to Cleveland to face LeBron James and the Cavaliers.
In other games within a day’s drive from Niagara Falls, Minnesota will play in Boston (Dec. 20), New Jersey (Dec. 23), Philadelphia (Feb. 9) and in Detroit (Feb. 16).
The Timberwolves will appear on ESPN once this season, a Nov. 27 home game against Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns. Minnesota’s Dec. 26 home game against the Washington Wizards will air nationally on NBATV. The Oct. 28 season opener against New Jersey will likely be shown locally on YES, while MSG should carry the Knicks’ Jan. 31 game in Minnesota.
Meanwhile, the NBA is bringing Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal together again for Christmas — this time joined by James.
Bryant and the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers will host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Dec. 25, one of the highlights of the 2009-10 NBA schedule released Tuesday.
It will be the fourth time in the five years since their partnership ended that Bryant and O’Neal will meet on Christmas. Traded to Cleveland in June, O’Neal will return to Los Angeles this year with James, who succeeded Bryant as MVP last season.
O’Neal and James will play their first game together in the NBA season opener, hosting the Boston Celtics on Oct. 27. The four-game slate that night concludes when the Lakers open their title defense against No. 1 draft pick Blake Griffin and the Clippers.
Defending Eastern Conference champion Orlando opens Oct. 28 against Philadelphia, then goes on the road two nights later to visit New Jersey, giving Vince Carter a quick return to his former home.
The Magic will visit the Lakers for an NBA finals rematch Jan. 18 as part of the schedule on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Los Angeles will play at Orlando on March 7 for the first time since winning the title in June.
Orlando also plays on Christmas, hosting Boston in a matchup of the last two East champions. Miami at New York, the Clippers at Phoenix and Denver at Portland round out that day’s action.
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News names Farrell swimming POY
Scott Farrell, the Tonawanda News' Player of the Year in boys swimming, capped his five-year varsity career at NTHS by competing in the 50 and 100 freestyle events at the NYS championships, during which he was named the recipient of the Section VI Sporstmanship Award.
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For SU, tourney will show whether key departures were a blessing
“Certainly it hurts to lose your top three scorers,” said Andy Rautins, a fifth-year senior for the Orange. “But at the same time, it made us into a better team. We have a lot of chemistry this year. Everybody is always on the same page regardless of what five guys are on the floor. I think we’re a very unselfish team. That’s what has made us so successful.”
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Falls' Carter ready to get back in the ring
Niagara Falls' Terry Carter will make his first appearance in the boxing ring in five years when he fights in the Golden Gloves Tournament Saturday at ECC's Flickinger Center in Buffalo.
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MMA: GI’s Weiser heads from field to octagon
Former Grand Island standout and current Buffalo State linebacker Eddie Weiser’s roots run deep when it comes to fighting.
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NCAA TOURNAMENT: Gonzaga trumpets small conference cause as a mid-major player
With a big budget, a 6,000-seat arena that’s nearly impossible to get into, and a string of top national and international recruits, Gonzaga has become the poster child for the emergence of mid-major basketball.
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Blue Devils' Badgley to step down
After 10 seasons as head coach of the Kenmore West boys basketball team, Jim Badgley is resigning in order to spend more time with family.
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SABRES: Miller pulled in 4-3 loss to Thrashers
Ryan Miller was pulled after giving up three goals in the first 6 minutes and Jim Slater’s third-period goal gave the Thrashers a 4-3 win over the Northeast-leading Sabres on Tuesday night.
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Blachowski lifts Lightning to state hockey title
Chris Blachowski buried the game-winning goal with under four minutes left in regulation, lifting the Tonawanda Lightning 99s to the title over the host Binghamton Jr. Senators.
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Caruana named News' Wrestler of the Year
Kenmore West sophomore Dylan Caruana compiled an overall record of 37-5 this season en route to the Section VI title at 119 pounds and a bid to the state tournament.
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TENNIS: Ken White revels in match of a lifetime
City of Tonawanda native Ken White played the biggest match of his career when he recently competed in the Babolat World Tennis Championships in Palm Springs, Calif.
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