ST. LOUIS — Tiger Woods is chipping and putting again, and he hopes to play in the Memorial in two weeks. But even if he can’t compete until the U.S. Open, he doesn’t expect the same result as his last layoff during a season.

Two years ago, Woods didn’t play for nine weeks while coping with the death of his father. He returned to competition in the U.S. Open at Winged Foot and missed the cut for the only time in a major.

“That was a totally different mental situation than I am now,” Woods said Monday. “Even when I came back for the Open, I probably wasn’t ready to play yet. I was eager to get back and play and be in a competitive environment, but I wasn’t ready to deal with all the things you have to deal with inside the ropes. … And it showed, and I played terrible.

“This time around, it’s totally different,” he added. “Everything in my life is doing great. I’m just trying to get the leg organized enough to where I can play, and hopefully, I can play before. If not — if I can’t play before — then hopefully, at the Open.”

Woods had surgery on his left knee April 15 for the second time in five years, this time to clean out some cartilage. He has not played since finishing three shots behind Trevor Immelman at the Masters.

Doctors said the recovery would be four to six weeks, and Woods said his rehabilitation was going well.

“I’ll tell you what, I’m getting sick and tired of riding the bike,” he said.

Woods spoke on a video conference to promote the BMW Championship, which he won last year on his way to capturing the FedEx Cup. The tournament will be held Sept. 4-7 at Bellerive Country Club, where Woods has played only a practice round. He was on the course the morning of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

He has been able to chip and putt, and Woods said he hopes to work his way through the bag to hit fuller shots as he regains strength. But he is in no shape to play now, except for a short game contest.

“I couldn’t compete against those guys, unless we were playing a putt-putt course,” he said. “All I could do was chip and putt. I think they would have a distinct advantage over me for anything over 30 yards.”

Woods first had surgery on his left knee in 1994 to remove a benign tumor. He had surgery again in December 2002, and won 30 times and five majors since then. He is not worried about a chronic condition in his knee or his health as he pursues Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major championships.

“After the first surgery, I said I probably wouldn’t have another one. Then after the second one, I wouldn’t have another one,” he said. “And now here I am having three. It is what it is. It’s the nature of playing sports.”

Woods could not defend his title at the Wachovia Championship, won by Anthony Kim. He missed The Players Championship for the first time in his career, and Sergio Garcia won in a playoff.

“I want to thank Tiger for not being here,” Garcia said after his victory. “That always makes things a little bit easier.”

The Memorial, hosted by Nicklaus and a course on which Woods has won three times, starts May 29. The U.S. Open is June 12-15 at Torrey Pines, where Woods has won six times as a pro.

Woods said the course will play differently in June for a U.S. Open than it does in the winter at the Buick Invitational.

“I’m looking forward to playing there when it is dry and fast,” Woods said. “The golf course will be set up fair and it will be difficult. You will have to play well and to win a U.S. Open, you have to play well.”

He still remembers his last trip to St. Louis for a tournament that was never played. Woods was playing a practice round with Mark Calcavecchia at the American Express Championship when PGA Tour security told him of the hijacked planes crashing into the Twin Towers.

“We all knew what that meant,” Woods said. “We all went to the clubhouse to watch the horrific events.”Here

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tim Hudson showed again that a well-pitched game is the easiest and best way to end an extended streak. Or, on this day, a number of streaks.

Hudson limited Pittsburgh to two hits and an unearned run over seven innings and the Atlanta Braves halted their seven-game road losing slide with an 8-1 victory that concluded Monday’s doubleheader.

In the opener, Freddy Sanchez hit a three-run double and Zach Duke pitched six shutout innings as the Pirates won 5-0 for their sixth consecutive win.

With Mark Kotsay and Brian McCann driving in three runs each, Atlanta avoided its first four-game sweep by Pittsburgh since Sept. 1-3, 1978. The Pirates’ winning streak was their longest since they won 10 straight from June 25-July 5, 2004.

“We were able to get a nice lead and I was able to relax,” Hudson said after winning his third in a row, all with dominating outings. “I did a pretty good job of changing speeds off my fastball. When you get a lead, you can experiment a little bit.”

Hudson (6-2) held the Pirates to a lone single over his final six innings, finishing with five strikeouts and two walks. Pittsburgh’s only run came in the first on first baseman Greg Norton’s error on Nate McLouth’s grounder.

Hudson has permitted only two earned runs and 11 hits over 23 innings in beating the Reds, Padres and Pirates in succession, averaging nearly eight innings per start.

“He’s a guy who’s been doing it well for a long time. We had a chance to get more runs early and didn’t do it,” the Pirates’ Adam LaRoche said. “But other than this game, it was a great 6-1 homestand for us. We finally put it all together.”

So did the Braves in the second game as they took a 3-1 lead on Kotsay’s two-run double in the fourth against John Van Benschoten (0-2). McCann’s three-run homer in the fifth made it 7-1. Kotsay added an RBI double in the seventh.

The Braves still own the majors’ worst road record, 5-14, but finally ended a road losing streak that extended over their last two road trips. They also stopped Pittsburgh’s seven-game home winning streak.

Even while splitting, the Braves left 24 on base, 15 in the opener as Duke (2-2) shook off five walks, three errors and five Braves hits to win. Duke, Damaso Marte and Sean Burnett combined to pitch the shutout.

“I think we’re playing great,” manager Bobby Cox said. “We hit so many balls hard with men on, it’s becoming a joke around the clubhouse. Line drives right at them. It’s crazy.”

Van Benschoten, one of the majors’ worst starters last season with an 0-7 record and a 10.15 ERA in nine starts, wasn’t much better in his first 2008 start. The 2001 first-round draft pick was roughed up for seven runs, six earned, and nine hits over four-plus innings.

“We were able to time up his fastball and put some good swings on it,” Jeff Francoeur said.

The right-handed Van Benschoten has a 1-12 record and 8.84 ERA in 21 career major league games and hasn’t won since 2004, and likely won’t get a chance to win again soon. He was optioned back to Triple-A Indianapolis after the game.

“I’ll be back,” he said. “It’s the business, the nature of the beast, and I’ve got to rise up from this.”

Still, he might be running out of chances after giving up eight earned runs in 7 2/3 innings and losing twice in four games following his April 29 callup. The Pirates will make a roster move to replace him Tuesday in St. Louis.

Duke was constantly in trouble, with at least two runners reaching in all but one inning, but got key outs when he needed them. He won successive starts for the first time since beating the Brewers on Sept. 11, 2006, and the Mets six days later.

“The big key was most of the runners came when we had two outs already, so you can focus on getting that one out. It made it a little easier,” Duke said.

Braves rookie Jair Jurrjens (4-3) got himself into trouble in the fifth by walking Jason Michaels and hitting light-hitting rookie Brian Bixler with a pitch in the upper back, helping the Pirates load the bases.

Sanchez — 10-for-28 (.357) with eight RBIs as a leadoff batter since moving up one spot in the order last week — cleared the bases with a two-out double to right-center. LaRoche added a two-run homer, his fourth, in the eighth against Manny Acosta.

Game notes
The Pirates went into the doubleheader with a six-game errorless streak, only to commit six errors — all but one by infielders. … Hudson lost his previous two road starts, pitching only three innings in each. … Braves 1B Mark Teixeira left in the fourth inning of the opener with back spasms on a cloudy, chilly 48-degree day. He didn’t play in the second game. … Pittsburgh won the season series 5-2. … By losing the second game, Pittsburgh — coming off 15 consecutive losing seasons — missed a chance to reach .500.Here

CHICAGO (AP) — Carlos Zambrano switched to longer sleeves after three innings, not so much to combat the cold — as would be expected — but to cover a scab on his pitching arm.

Big Z was plenty ready for the elements on a 41-degree night in mid-May and showed his sense of humor Monday night after pitching and batting the Chicago Cubs to a 12-3 win over the San Diego Padres.

“It’s OK for me. I’m from Alaska,” Zambrano said, drawing laughs at his postgame news conference.

“No, it’s tough man, especially for me. I’m from South America, Venezuela. It is not this cold. Not even close,” he said.

“As a starting pitcher … don’t worry about the cold factor, just try to hit your spots and try to do the best you can to keep the inning quick.”

But the Cubs made sure the Padres couldn’t get off the field soon enough, scoring six runs in the fifth — started by Zambrano’s double — and adding five more in the sixth, when he added a single. They had 13 hits and made the most of nine walks issued by the Padres.

Pitching with an extra day’s rest after his start Sunday was scratched because of rainy conditions, Zambrano (6-1) allowed six hits and three runs in seven innings. And he was part of a batting order that was on base all night.

“I think we have a very good lineup, very balanced,” said Alfonso Soriano, who homered in the fifth and is 7-for-14 during the Cubs’ four-game winning streak. “Be more aggressive and, at the same time, selective at home plate. That’s what I try to do because I know when I swing at a strike, I know that I hit the ball very hard.”

The Cubs’ first eight batters reached in the fifth on six hits and two walks. Randy Wolf (2-3) didn’t retire a batter in the inning and in four-plus innings, he gave up eight hits, seven runs and five walks.

“In the fifth inning, there is really no way to candy coat it,” Wolf said. “I was bad. I didn’t make the pitches I needed to. They capitalized on it. You get behind and you don’t locate. Those are two recipes for something bad to happen.”

Jody Gerut’s first homer in nearly three years gave the Padres a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth, but the Cubs quickly responded.

Zambrano drove a ball off the wall in right-center for a leadoff double and Soriano followed with a drive to left-center that just cleared the fence for his fourth homer, putting Chicago up 3-2.

Ryan Theriot walked, Derrek Lee singled and Aramis Ramirez had an RBI single before Kosuke Fukudome worked a walk to load the bases. Geovany Soto’s two-run single through the middle made it 6-2 and finished Wolf. Mark DeRosa then greeted reliever Sean Henn with an RBI single.

“He couldn’t make a pitch to get himself out of it,” Padres manager Bud Black said of Wolf.

In the sixth, the Cubs batted around again. They loaded the bases for the third time in the game on Soriano’s double and walks to Theriot and Ramirez before Fukudome drew his third walk of the game to force in a run.

It got worse for the Padres, who have the worst record in the majors at 14-25.

When DeRosa hit a grounder to third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff, he tried to race to the bag for a force, but Ramirez beat him there. Kouzmanoff then threw wildly to first for an error and three runs ended up scoring on the play as the Cubs went up 11-2. Reed Johnson later added an RBI single.

Fukudome’s three walks were a big part of the Cubs’ offense.

“The guy knows how to play baseball,” Zambrano said. “He came to the U.S. ready to play. One thing I see in Fukudome is he can handle it with all the media and all the fans.”

Lee’s double into the right-field corner scored Theriot, who singled, in the first to put the Cubs ahead 1-0. Tadahito Iguchi hit an RBI single in the third to tie it.

Game notes
Zambrano has 17 multihit games in his career. … Gerut’s last homer came on May 24, 2005, against the Twins while he was playing for the Indians. He wasn’t in the majors the last two years. … Padres C Michael Barrett, bothered by a sprained right elbow ligament, threw before the game and could go on a rehab assignment soon. … Padres LF Scott Hairston fell over the Cubs’ bullpen mound chasing Fukudome’s foul fly in the sixth, but wasn’t hurt. … Edgar Gonzalez, just called up from Triple-A, had an RBI single in the seventh for his first major league hit. He is the brother of Padres’ first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. … Former Cubs pitcher Mark Prior, now with the Padres, had a setback in his rehab from shoulder surgery in April 2007. When he felt discomfort in his shoulder at extended spring training in Arizona, he was sent back to San Diego for an MRI, Black said. Prior might visit Dr. James Andrews, who performed the surgery, to be checked out.Here

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Pedro Martinez plans to throw a simulated game against minor leaguers Wednesday, another step toward returning to the New York Mets’ rotation from a frustrating leg injury.

Martinez, who strained his left hamstring April 1 during his season debut, 1, threw a bullpen session Monday. The injury has been difficult for the three-time Cy Young Award winner to handle, especially because he missed most of the 2007 season following right rotator cuff surgery.

“Not depressed, I’m not that kind of person that gets depressed, but it’s frustrating how hard I worked,” Martinez said. “My arm is feeling great. My arm really hasn’t given me any problems and now a hamstring. A hamstring, out of all cases a hamstring. Go figure.”

Martinez is expected to rejoin the Mets next month. New York hopes the 36-year-old right-hander will have the form that made him an eight-time All-Star.

“I don’t know, I need to pitch first,” Martinez said. “Pitching and being great is not about talking. It’s not talking that defines greatness. Greats are defined inside the white lines. That’s where you become great or you become whatever you are. As far as Port St. Lucie and rehab, I’m nothing. Nothing counts. It’s all wasted words.”

Neither Martinez nor Mets minor league rehabilitation coordinator Randy Niemann would speculate on a date for Martinez’s return.

“It’s something that you just have to wait for it to heal,” Martinez said. “Now I’m about to get back. Hopefully, it won’t happen again. These things keep happening.”

Martinez still hopes to pitch this season.

“It’s just a hamstring,” Martinez said. “Everybody comes back from a hamstring.”Here

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minutes into the game, Livan Hernandez and the Minnesota Twins watched another ball sail over the wall for the other side.

Boston’s Manny Ramirez made it a league-most 42 home runs allowed by the Twins, who just shrugged off the early deficit and went back to playing the way they always have.

Hernandez won again, Craig Monroe contributed another big hit, and the Twins beat the Red Sox 7-3 to win the four-game series and improve to 14-7 at home.

“There may be new characters in the clubhouse, but it’s the same philosophy,” said Michael Cuddyer, who had two hits and knocked one in.

Ramirez hit career homer No. 498 in that first inning, a two-run shot that gave him only his second home run in 20 games and gave the Red Sox a 3-0 lead.

But Hernandez (6-1) rebounded after that rough start to finish six innings for another quality outing, and the Twins are now 8-1 when he’s on the mound.

“Maybe they don’t got the power like the other teams, but it’s a good-hitting team,” Hernandez said. “You’ve got to concentrate on something to try to stay long in the game. I kept thinking all the time that three runs is not going to make a difference.”

Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz (2-3) didn’t make it out of the fifth, done in by control problems and timely hits by the Twins — who took three games and reduced the Red Sox lead in the AL East to a half-game over Tampa Bay. That’s their smallest since May 1.

“It’s tough, but you have to give the Twins credit,” Ramirez said. “They have a great bullpen that pitched great, and you have to tip your hat to them.”

Juan Rincon pitched two hitless innings, and Jesse Crain got Ramirez to fly out to center field to end a scoreless ninth. Minnesota has won nine of its last 12 games and scored 74 runs in the process.

“Everybody’s starting to swing the bats, and it’ll be fun around here when we start to see everyone get going,” said Monroe, who hit a two-run double in the decisive three-run fifth.

The Twins have done it almost entirely with singles, speed and smart baserunning. Their 20 homers rank one ahead of Kansas City for the fewest in the majors, and they beat up Buchholz for seven runs in 4 1/3 innings with only one extra-base hit.

Monroe, who hit two homers in Sunday’s 9-8 win, has so far been a pleasantly productive part-time DH for the Twins. Monroe, acquired from the Cubs for minor league outfielder Doug Deeds, is batting .290.

Hernandez, another unheralded acquisition during a hectic winter, has been a huge help for the first-place Twins. Minnesota has won all three of his starts this month by a combined 31-5 score, and he has allowed only five runs in 22 innings.

“He changed his speed a lot, with good location,” Ramirez said. “When he’s on, he’s on, and he pitched great. You have to give him credit.”

Over his last two starts, Buchholz has surrendered 18 hits and 12 runs in just 8 1/3 innings. He walked five this time, twice putting Mauer on to lead off an inning and watching him come all the way around.

“I don’t know what anybody can tell me,” Buchholz said. “It’s sort of in my hands right now. I was leaving pitches up, and they got hit. That’s what happens.”

Just about everything fell Minnesota’s way in this series, good vibes no more evident than in the top of the seventh inning when Dustin Pedroia hit a routine line drive to right field straight at Cuddyer.

He casually reached for it, when the ball popped out of his glove, bounced on the top of his cap, off the brim and back into the mitt. Cuddyer mouthed a “wow” and flashed a sheepish smile.

“It was definitely not a trick,” said Cuddyer, an accomplished magician.

Game notes
The Twins will take their time with RH Scott Baker, who was placed on the DL last week due to a problematic right groin strain and essentially replaced in the rotation by LH Glen Perkins. Manager Ron Gardenhire said Baker won’t be allowed to throw full speed off a mound for at least another 10 to 12 days. … The Red Sox released LH Abe Alvarez to make room on Triple-A Pawtucket’s roster for IF Jed Lowrie, who was sent down Sunday. Alvarez was a second-round draft pick in 2003 who made brief appearances with Boston in 2004, 2005 and 2006, but was sidetracked the last two seasons by ankle and oblique injuries. … Twins LF Delmon Young twisted his left ankle in the eighth inning, but was determined to stay in the game. He has played in 202 consecutive games, but Gardenhire said he should be fine to play Tuesday pending evaluation. “It’s up to me when I come back,” Young said. “It’s my body, so if I can play on it then I can play.” … J.D. Drew had his third three-hit game of the season for Boston and raised his average to .301.Here

Welcome to The Show! On Monday, ESPN.com senior MLB writer Jayson Stark will drop by at 1 p.m. ET for another installment of “That’s Debatable,” a weekly feature in which we break down a hot topic you have suggested.

Monday’s topic, courtesy of John from San Diego:
“Which Florida team (the Marlins or the Rays) will have a better record at the end of the season?

Florida — baseball capital of the world. And it isn’t even March. What a concept.

But it’s a concept we’d all better embrace after a weekend in which the Rays swept the Angels and the Marlins swept the Nationals.

So check those standings, friends. The Marlins have the best record in baseball (23-14). And the Rays are five games over .500 for the first time in their 1,654-game history. And Florida’s two way-too-anonymous baseball teams have now raised their combined record to a spectacular 44-30.

This led John from San Diego to hit us with the “That’s Debatable” question of the day. Let’s mull that one for a few moments:

THE CASE FOR TAMPA BAY
Look out: This team finally has some pitching to go with all its up-and-coming position-player talent. The Rays just threw back-to-back shutouts against the Angels. Their rotation has almost as many quality starts (20) as the Red Sox (21). And they’re second in the league in bullpen ERA.

Nobody wants to face this lineup. The Marlins are now hitting more home

runs per game than the Phillies (and everyone else, for that matter). Just the double-play combination alone — Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla — has combined for as many home runs (19) as the Royals’ entire team. And no team in baseball has scored in double figures more times than the Marlins (six), even though they play in the worst hitters’ park in the Eastern time zone.

THE VERDICT

Much as I admire the Marlins’ thump and hustle, this is still a team winning with a very shaky formula. Florida’s rotation just nudged its ERA under 5.00. The Marlins have committed the most errors in the league (33). And they had been outscored for the season by their opponents until they bludgeoned the Nationals, 23-7, over the weekend. So I’ll take Tampa Bay — a team with superior pitching, an offense that has outscored the Yankees and has had the look of a team Team On The Rise since the first day of spring training.

Nevertheless, you get to disagree. That’s what we’re here for. Let’s discuss.

Every week, we’ll give you the topic and then we’ll have one of our writers stopping by to debate the issue with you. To suggest a topic for “That’s Debatable,” go here. Or check out the full archive.

Stark Archive: Chats | Columns

SportsNation Jayson Stark: Welcome to the Debate Room. Let me just say you don’t have to be a resident of Florida, someone who vacations in Florida or even a fan of grouper sandwiches to participate in this chat. We’ll take questions from everybody. And if you have a nomination for a surprising non-Florida team that you think will outwin both of them, we’ll ponder those questions, too. So let’s get going.

Julio: Miami, Florida: Agreed that the Rays have what seems to be better pitching, however, the Marlins, have the livelier bats. Pitching should come around pretty soon which will make the Marlins even more difficult to beat. Top to bottom the Marlins have the better line-up, if pitching lives up to expectations we might have another playoff season, and we all know what happens anytime the Marlins reach the playoffs.

SportsNation Jayson Stark: Julio, I’m not sure why you think the Marlins’ pitching is so sure to come around. The whole starting rotation won 20 games in the big leagues combined last year. And the opening-day starter — Mark Hendrickson — got released last August. I’m big on track record, and I don’t see enough track record in that staff to make that assumption.

Richard (Holland, Pennsylvania): The Marlins have played 9 games against the Nationals, 5 games against the Pirates, 3 against SD, and 6 to the Brewers. They have only played the Mets and Braves in 1 series and have not played the Phillies at all. The schedule has been a breeze and is going to get brutal.

SportsNation Jayson Stark: Great point, Richard. Schedule is a big part of this. The Marlins have played the most home games in the division. They’ve played almost all their road games against teams that were under .500 at the time. And they haven’t been to New York, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Chicago or the west coast yet. Those are the big tests of any team. Take a look at what’s happened to the Diamondbacks over the last week, when their schedule turned tougher.

Eric (Albany): How many wins do you think the “winner” gets? Above .500?

SportsNation Jayson Stark: That’s an excellent question. I have a tough time projecting either of these teams to win more than, say, 85 games. Anyone disagree?

Justin (ny, ny): Jayson, similar to Richards comments - the Rays have played the yankees in 2 series (going 2-4), the red sox, the angels, etc… they’ve had a tougher schedule than the marlins, and their success has been pretty good!

SportsNation Jayson Stark: I agree. They’ve swept the Red Sox, Angels and Blue Jays. So that tells me something, even though all of those sweeps were at home. Nevertheless, this team has had a funny schedule, too. After opening the season on the road, they only played two games outside Florida over the next three weeks. So since April 6, they’ve had one road trip longer than two games. In other words, the schedule will test them, too.

Tommy (Lexington KY): If the pitching staff stays healthy, i cant see any reason why the rays couldnt shake out 90 wins this year..the rays have already played a TON of games in the Division and thus far have more than held serve….

SportsNation Jayson Stark: I hear people make those kinds of predictions for the Rays. And while I think they’re better, I don’t see how they’re THAT much better. That team won 68 games last year, remember, and gave up 944 runs. So where are those extra 22 wins coming from? Matt Garza and a little bullpen improvement alone aren’t gonig to equal 22 more wins.

Craig (ATL): I think one major point that you’re forgetting is that the marlins have the lowest payroll in baseball. If management would spend some money on pitching, the marlins would be hands down better than the rays. so i think that when you factor in the payroll, the marlins are better than the rays because they are being just as succesful with less resources.

SportsNation Jayson Stark: Dave, I admit they’re guaranteed the league in wins per payroll dollar. But so is Tampa Bay, I’m betting. The two of them combined have a $65.6-million payroll. Their COMBINED payroll would still only be the 24th highest in the sport. Plus, that wasn’t the question. The question was which would win more games.

Jeremy (nola): I Believe the rays can be a potenial wild card winner. Shields is going to be a Cy young canidate. Kas has Ace potenial as well. Plus the bullpen can actually cut the game to 6 innings. And Crawford and the crew can get them enough runs to make them legit.

SportsNation Jayson Stark: Sorry, I don’t see wild card in this team’s future, either — at least not the near future. Don’t get me wrong. I like the team. And I like the upside. When David Price, Jake McGee and Wade Davis arrive — assuming they all stay healthy — that’s when it’s time to talk wild card. But I don’t think this year is their ETA in the postseason. It’s 2009 and beyond.

Jeff (Tampa): I see the Rays getting to 85 to 88 wins. Someone asked where the extra 22 wins come from? Simple! The Rays are winning the close ballgames this year. They are confident and have finally learned to win and to hold on to games in the late innings. Last their bullpen had a 6+ era. Not the case this year.

SportsNation Jayson Stark: You’re on the right track, Jeff. The bullpen has been a huge difference-maker, and that part has been by design. But this team is on pace to give up about 200 fewer runs this year than last year, and that’s nearly unheard of. So I’m not sure it’s safe yet to project that this is what this bullpen is going to be all year.

Mike (St. Petersburg, FL): The Rays defense is the silent reason the pitching has turned around from its historically bad performance last year. Clearly, their defense, plus the veteran leadership now present in the bullpen will anchor the team to minimize the lean times and inevitble slumps. Don’t forget, the Rays also lead MLB in DL appearances early on and the bats have yet to come alive. The O was the ostensible strong point at the start of the season. I say the Rays get over .500 (barely) while the Marlins will trail off, and soon.

SportsNation Jayson Stark: I think I agree with this point as much as any that’s been made so far. The Rays didn’t just finish dead last in Baseball Prospectus’ defensive-efficiency rankings last year. They finished last among all teams in the last 49 years! They’re currently second-BEST in the AL and fifth in the big leagues. I’m not certain they’ll stay that high all year. But this is definitely an improved defensive team.

Travis (DC): Do you think playing in the warm weather Florida gives these teams an advantage early in the season? The Rays and Marlins are 13-7 and 12-9 at home respectively, while the Tigers and Rockies are 8-12 7-10 at home respectively.

SportsNation Jayson Stark: Yes and no. I do think it impacts the offensive production of teams like the Tigers and Indians to play in so much horrible weather early in the season up north. On the other hand, Tampa Bay had never had a winning April in the history of the franchise. So weather, in the big picture, is overrated. In baseball, anyway. In life, it’s never overrated.

Max (Coral Gables, FL): The rays pitching definitely makes them the better team in my opinion. Andy Sonnanstine has been pretty good so far, and James Shields, aside form the debacle against the Red Sox, has been spectacular, not giving up more than 3 earned in any other start. The Marlins on the other hand….. Their pitching is suspect at best. When Mark Hendrickson and Scott Olsen cool off, and they will, the Fish are in some serious trouble

SportsNation Jayson Stark: Max, I generally agree with you. It’s easier to look at that Rays rotation and project this kind of improvement than it is to look at that group in Florida and project the same level of pitching success. But I do want to give credit to Mark Wiley, the new pitching coach in Florida. I think he’s one of the best in the business, and you can see how much he has already helped guys like Olsen and Andrew Miller.

Sam (Chicago): Jayson, if you had to choose between Carl Crawford and Hanley Ramirez, who would you build your team around?

SportsNation Jayson Stark: Fun question. I love watching Carl Crawford, but Hanley Ramirez is as multi-talented as any player in the whole sport. He’d be my pick. Feel free to try to talk me out of it.

Justin (ny, ny): The Rays have been doing all this without the help of Kazmir!!!

SportsNation Jayson Stark: Well, they had been until the last week, anyway. Which is another good point. They’ve pitched amazingly well, considering that the guy who is, theoretically, their best starter has one win. I’m not so sure James Shields isn’t really their best starter. But Kazmir did lead the league in strikeouts last year.

Jason (Madrid, Spain): We have to consider not just the schedule so far, but the division they are in. While i think the Rays are the better team, playing so many games against Boston and New York (who so far has under-acheived) and the like-wise underacheiving Jays is going to catch up to the Rays. The Marlins have the Phillies and Mets to contend with, but if i get to pick my division i pick to play in the NL East any day over the AL East.

SportsNation Jayson Stark: Your point seems fine on the surface. But I don’t see where it’s that much “easier” to face the Mets, Phillies and Braves than it is to face the Red Sox, Yankees and Blue Jays. The Nationals are worse than the Orioles, so I’ll concede that one. But I’m not conceding that the NL East is a cakewalk. Sorry.

John (Portland, ME): Were you surprised to see the Marlins actually open up the wallet and pay Hanley?

SportsNation Jayson Stark: No, not at all. I actually mentioned in my chat last Friday that that was their No. 1 priority. Now that they can see that new ballpark coming, they had to make that guy the centerpiece player as they head into that park. The only question was whether Ramirez was willing to go along. I think we know the answer to that question now.

Steven Krajnyk (TAMPA BAY, FL): Could Dan Uggla be the most underrated player in the MLB?

SportsNation Jayson Stark: He’s definitely on my all-underrated team. Does ANYBODY know he had 83 extra-base hits last year? And he’s on the same kind of pace this year. Check your list of middle infielders who have had back-to-back 80-xbh seasons. You’ve heard of them! The only other second baseman who has ever done that? How about Rogers Hornsby!

Eric (NYC): I think you’ve got to give the Rays lots of credit for getting Percival to close for them. He’s been a revelation this year and really helps solidify that entire Bullpen.

SportsNation Jayson Stark: When I gave out my April awards, I made him the reliever of the month — not just because he had a 0.00 ERA, but because he has done so much to change the mindset of that bullpen, that staff and that team. In case you missed the nugget I unearthed in that column, by the way, if the Rays go from worst bullpen in baseball to the best, they’d be the first team to do that since the 1913-14 Tigers. Who knew!

Wesley (Kansas City, MO): This is somewhat off-topic, but should the teams continue their successes, will the people Florida come out and watch? The Rays and Marlins are averaging 18k and 14k (and the Rays perhaps because of visiting teams’ fans). Whose fans will rally behind the team more?

SportsNation Jayson Stark: Yeah, that’s off-topic, but it’s an important question for both teams. Sooner or later, both these franchises have to demonstrate that they can actually draw. I’m not in the group of people who thinks baseball will never succeed in that state. But they’ve both faced big obstacles. The Rays have never even had a winning season. The Marlins have turned off too many fans with those two fire sales. And both stadiums are mediocre facilities. But now that the Marlins are going to get a ballpark and the Rays are turning the corner, we’ll find out a lot about their ability to draw.

Matt (tampa): What do you think of Evan Longoria’s shot at ROY? I know Ellsbury is doing good, but I think Longoria can overtake him by putting up much stronger HR and RBI numbers.

SportsNation Jayson Stark: He was my rookie-of-the-year pick before opening day, and he didn’t even make the team. That ought to tell you where I stood on this question.

SportsNation Jayson Stark: Before I go on here, I was looking for a chance to throw this question out there, and we’re running out of time. Can anybody name the Marlins’ highest-paid pitcher? And don’t cheat!

Jim (St-Petersburg): About the weather comment: The Rays play in a dome so it is not a factor for them. Do you think we will see the likes of David Price in the starting rotation by the end of the year for the Rays?

SportsNation Jayson Stark: I’m aware that’s a roof up there. I interpreted that question as a comparison of the climate these teams play in versus the northern teams. But I never actually pointed that out, so thanks for helping out. It’s amazing how many people in baseball think David Price could pitch in the big leagues right now. But you’ll remember they had to shut him down this spring with some health issues. So health and service-time questions are about all that could keep him out of the big leagues before the end of the year.

JT (Cranston, RI): Kevin Gregg

SportsNation Jayson Stark: We have a winner. Kevin Gregg, at $2.5 million, is not just the highest-paid pitcher on the Marlins. He’s the highest-paid player. I sure hope you didn’t cheat. OK now, which pitcher is the second-highest paid?

Mabdul (Miami, FL): You’ve been talking about this for an hour and no one has mentioned the Marlins bullpen, which has been superb in keeping this team in games even when they’ve had spotty starting pitching. The pen has an 8-4 record and a 2.95 ERA, 2nd in the NL. They’re a big reason the Fish have won so many close games, and that goes a long way in explaining how they’ve put together a good record despite a small run differential.

SportsNation Jayson Stark: Thanks for bringing that up. I wonder how many people walking the streets of, say, Wyoming could name a single member of that bullpen. But that group has been tremendous. A real testament to the Marlins’ amazing ability to spot good arms.

Leo (Miami, FL): Do you think that if the Marlins keep playing well, Loria et al will open up their wallets for some pitching this season via a trade or two?

SportsNation Jayson Stark: I do. When they’ve had a shot to win, they’ve always been buyers, since Loria bought the team. I give him credit for that. Two years ago, they never actually pulled off a deal, but I’ve heard they made a serious run at Alfonso Soriano on July 31. Just couldn’t quite get it done because they wouldn’t trade Cameron Maybin.

Tom (Philadelphia): Jayson, I believe the Marlins’ highest paid pitcher is Kevin Gregg. Wasn’t he their highest paid player until the club recently signed Hanley Ramirez to that 6-yeah, $70 million contract. I’d like to point out that the contract might be the biggest bargain in baseball. Hanley Ramirez is baseball’s best all-around talent, and he is the reason the Marlins will beat out the Rays this year. But both teams won’t win as many as the Phillies.

SportsNation Jayson Stark: My understanding is that Ramirez’s new deal starts with next season, so he still wouldn’t be higher-paid than Kevin Gregg this year.

Jay (Philly): Mr. Mike Hampton

SportsNation Jayson Stark: Hey, great guess. But the Marlins are done paying Mike Hampton. I think he’s still the highest-paid pitcher in Marlins history, though — and he never threw a pitch for them!

David (Clearwater, FL): Jayson: Which of these teams do you think has a chance of becoming MLB’s new dynasty for years to come?

SportsNation Jayson Stark: I think the Rays have more “dynasty-type” pieces in place right now than the Marlins do, and they have more on the way.

Ray (West Warwick, RI): Jayson, what are you talking about? The Marlins didn’t have Cameron Maybin 2 years ago! They just acquired him in the Cabrera/Willis trade.

SportsNation Jayson Stark: Oops. My bad. Just a stream-of-consciousness chat mistake. But you’re right. I’m wrong. At any rate, they did make that run at Soriano. So at least I’m HALF-right.

Brick (Brooklyn): Which player is a hall of famer/ends up as the best player 20 years down the road: HanRam, BJ Upton, or Carl Crawford?

SportsNation Jayson Stark: I had a scout tell me last year that Hanley Ramirez was going to the Hall of Fame — and he had one full season in the big leagues at the time. So he’d be my pick.

Rob (hollywood, FL): Still Andrew Miller

SportsNation Jayson Stark: Andrew Miller is, in fact, the No. 2 highest-paid pitcher, even though he has less than a full year of service time. Those major-league draft-pick contracts are a beautiful thing, huh?

SportsNation Jayson Stark: OK, let’s take one more.

Kory, (Columbus, OH): What do you see the Rays doing with their rotation in the next couple years when Price, Mcgee, and Davis are ready to go?

SportsNation Jayson Stark: It’s never safe to assume all three of them will stay healthy. But if they do, it puts the Rays in position to trade away arms. The other big question they face is whether they can sign Kazmir long-term. He’s the one piece they haven’t locked up. So I think that tells you something. Wouldn’t shock me if they trade him at some point, depending on how the rest of those pitching pieces fit together.

SportsNation Jayson Stark: Hey, they said we couldn’t make it through a whole hour talking Florida baseball. But we did it. Thanks for the great questions — and payroll-trivia answers. See you in the Debate Room next Monday. Here

THE CASE FOR FLORIDA

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — There was no Claret Jug, no green jacket, no major championship trophy presented in Sunday evening’s twilight at TPC Sawgrass. For Sergio Garcia, that would just be quibbling, wouldn’t it?

A major title, no. A huge victory, yes.

And perhaps this finally knocks down the door to greatness that has long been expected of the Spaniard who has been stymied in his efforts to win one of golf’s biggest tournaments.

“I’m looking forward to keeping going, I don’t want to get stuck here,” Garcia said after his sudden-death playoff victory over Paul Goydos. “I want to have a good year and keep giving myself chances of winning more events and having a major, if I can.”

In truth, any victory would have worked for Garcia, 28, ranked 18th in the world despite no wins anywhere since 2005, when he won the defunct Booz Allen Classic on the PGA Tour and the European Masters on the European Tour.

But the Players Championship — often referred to as the “fifth major” — is not just any tournament.

For all the conjecture about its status among the elite events, the Players arguably offers up the best field of the year. There are no qualifiers, no amateurs, no club pros. Just the best players in the world — sans Tiger Woods, due to injury — and a brutal golf course to beat.

Garcia, whose par on the playoff hole came on the heels of a clutch 7-foot par putt on the 18th that gave him a chance to extend the tournament, put on a driving and iron-play clinic that would make even Woods take notice.

He led the field in fairways hit (43-of-56) despite winds that produced white caps on the numerous water hazards that dot the course. He tied for first in greens in regulation (56-of-72) despite rock-hard surfaces that repelled golf balls and left players and caddies in a futile search for pitch marks.

“He deserves it,” said Goydos, who held a 3-stroke lead with six holes to play but could not hold on. “He played better than everyone else. Just look at the stats.”

Of course, there have been numerous times when Garcia might have surveyed the numbers and shook his head in disbelief. Ranked as high as No. 4 in the world early in the 2003 season, he has long been regarded as one of the game’s best ball-strikers. And it can get a bit old to beat everyone from tee to green but unable to get the ball in the hole.

“When you put it that way, yeah, it is a little bit frustrating,” Garcia said. “But the game of golf is not only about hitting the ball. You have to have every single part of your game in shape. You can be a great ball-striker, but if you can’t finish it off — you’re going to win some tournaments, but it doesn’t happen too often.”

Goydos, 43, got an up-close look at the greatness that is Garcia’s long game during Saturday’s third round, when the Spaniard hit 10 for 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens. Those are unheard-of numbers in such windy conditions. Garcia began the tournament by hitting 16 of 18 greens. In Friday’s second round, he hit all 14 fairways.

In truth, Goydos — who has done well to toil on tour for 16 years that have produced just two victories — could never dream of hitting the ball with Garcia’s accuracy and length.

“He hits whatever shot is needed at a particular hole at a particular time. That’s the shot he hits,” Goydos said. “He’s a pretty impressive player.”

The problem is with the flat stick. It has absolutely tormented Garcia. A player in his 20s should not be resorting to a belly putter, as Garcia did last year in nearly winning the British Open, but that is how desperate he became on the greens.

Then there was the constant switching. Belly putter. Left-hand low. Conventional. Different putters. Indecision.

Garcia, who played in the final group of the past two British Opens, finishing tied for fifth behind Woods in 2006 and losing in a playoff last year to Padraig Harrington, finally sought help from outside his inner circle. At the Match Play Championship in February, he solicited short-game guru Stan Utley.

Two hours into their first session together, Garcia said he began to putt more naturally, like the way he did when he was a kid. That feel type of putting will serve him well, although he still has his awkward moments on the greens.

“I’m just a guy who encourages him to make solid contact,” Utley said. “We’re making almost no adjustments at this point.”

After a poor putting day on Saturday, when Garcia took 34 putts and shot 73 (”The worst score I could have shot,” he said), Garcia made some of the biggest putts of his career Sunday. He had eight 1-putt greens, and it is difficult to say which was the most important.

Perhaps it was at the ninth hole, where he made a 14-footer to save par. Or maybe it was at the 14th, where he drained a 47-foot putt for birdie. Or maybe it was the 3-footer for par at the 17th in regulation, the one Garcia was leaning toward as the biggest. “It was the longest 3 feet I’ve ever seen,” Garcia said.

Then came the par putt at the 18th, the one he knew he had to have. After missing the green from some 220 yards out, Garcia nearly holed his chip shot, only to see it scoot some 7 feet past the hole. “I knew I was going to make that putt,” he said.

Now he has seven PGA Tour victories, the most of any player under the age of 30. He also has a combined 13 wins on the PGA Tour and Europe and a total of 16 international victories.

He did not rid himself of the title “best player without a major championship” — in fact, he might have been saddled with it again.

But that’s OK.

As Goydos said, “He’s right there on the precipice of great things.”Here

You can accomplish a great many things during a 10-minute phone call. A long-distance Mother’s Day celebration. A romantic breakup and makeup. Even a New York Times crossword puzzle.

But 600 seconds isn’t a heckuva lot of time when you’re yukking it up with enigmatic Dallas Cowboys wideout Terrell Owens about his far-from-dull offseason — from his weepy season-ending news conference to his appearance on Flavor Flav’s new sitcom, as well as other topics that fall under “weird stuff that no man in the history of the world is more qualified to discuss.”

The impetus for this interview was Owens’ involvement in MyNetworkTV’s “Under One Roof,” a sitcom starring Public Enemy hype man/reality TV star/all-around weirdo Flavor Flav. Flav plays Calvester Hill, an ex-convict who moves in with his wealthy, conservative brother Winston (Kelly Perine) and proceeds to shake things up. Shaking things up in the episode airing Wednesday at 8 p.m.: Owens, who received a rousing ovation when he arrived on the series’ Vancouver set in late April to film his role as Sean Hill, a long-lost brother in search of investors for a shady online venture.

The dramatic question, of course, is this: Is Sean an actual relative with a sweet investment opportunity or is he nothing more than a con man?

The real question, though, is … who cares? It’s T.O. and Flav, baby! Besides, when a clock-minding network publicist is monitoring your chat with the NFL’s most colorful employee in what you’re surprised to learn is a three-way call, three rules must be strictly followed: Keep on your toes, keep it to 10 minutes and skip the small stuff to focus on really important matters — like potential gifts for the rumored Jessica Simpson-Tony Romo wedding.

Media Blitz: Let’s jump right in. This is awesome news. Terrell Owens and Flavor Flav. You have to admit, that’s a wacky combo, no?

Owens: Well, you never know. That’s not going to be the [last] of wacky combos you’re going to hear of. And that’s an FYI, hint-hint, so to speak. But Flavor Flav, he produced his own show, “Under One Roof” …

Hold on, what’s this “FYI, hint-hint” business?

(Laughs) It’s a little business venture that I’ve got going on that’s going to shock a lot of people.

And? What is it?

Naw, can’t say right now. It’s something that’s in the works.

Fine. So, how did you hook up with Flavor Flav?

I have a friend who does casting in L.A. I met her through a friend, Jamie Foxx. We kept in touch over the years. She cast me a few years ago for this movie “Playmakers.” It was something different than the TV show that was airing at the time, and it fell through because of funding. But she said she’d keep me in mind. She went off a hunch, being around me and my personality, which a lot of people don’t get to see — they only get to see my football side. But off that alone, being around me, she said I could do acting.

Even doing my first little movie with Oliver Stone, “Any Given Sunday,” being exposed to Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, LL Cool J and Jamie Foxx, I kind of watched from afar and thought, “Man, maybe I can do that one day.” So this is her showing me I can get my feet wet if I want to really pursue acting seriously after football. I think everybody that was there, the producers, the [assistant directors], they said I did well. I try to make it believable. Everybody from the director to the cast, they said I did a good job, but they’re not going to tell me I did a bad job. Let’s see how it looks on camera.

(Glances at the clock) Were you a fan of Flavor Flav’s work before this?

Woooooowwww. (Note: This was said in a normal speaking voice.)

Sorry?

That’s all I remember from Flavor Flav when we first met. Dude, it was so funny. He came into the room and he went exactly like that: “Woooooowwww.” You know? He was like, “I’m a big fan of yours. I’ve been a Cowboys fan since the [Roger] Staubach days. Just a fanatic football fan, and a Cowboys fan.” I mean, dude, he was so funny ’cause he went on for like 20 minutes, you know, and with his New York accent. I mean, 20 minutes!

Really, he was very sincere, very humble just to meet me. And I was like, “Dude.” I’d never personally met him. I followed him, I heard of him, I know of him, this and that. But from that initial moment alone — and the following day we did a table read, and that was so much fun and so refreshing. It was a comforting thing. The cast made me so, so comfortable that I was able to bring my character to life.

What are your thoughts on Flavor Flav’s reality dating show, “Flavor of Love?”

I mean, I’ve heard reviews about it, a lot of people talking about it. But, dude, I’m always out or in the gym, working out or playing basketball or doing something during those mainstream hours of 7 o’clock or 8 o’clock. I’m never really at the house sitting around watching TV, so I always missed it. Even now I have to get my assistant to DVR the show so I can pull it up and watch it. [But] definitely I’m going to make myself available for Wednesday.

You going to invite the boys over? Do some sort of screening party with popcorn?

(Laughs) I’m not sure. In Dallas, I’m pretty sure the guys will know I’ll be on [television] Wednesday. And if I’m here in Miami, I’m going to watch it here and be in awe of my own self.

In other TV news, the Cowboys will be the subject of HBO’s NFL training camp reality series, “Hard Knocks” …

Yeah, I just heard we’re going to be doing that this year.

The Cowboys have some personalities: you, the QB and his pop-star lady friend, Pacman Jones, Tank Johnson. Is it just me, or is this going to be the best TV series of all time?

Oh man, it’s going to be TV history all over again every Wednesday or whenever they’re [airing] the show. It’s going to be funny, man. It’s going to be very competitive, I know that. Once you get into practice, the last thing guys are going to be worried about is hamming it up for the cameras. I’m sure there’ll be some crazy moments though. You can have a different star on any given day. But if I’m going to be out there, I’m definitely going to have to be the star of the show.

What do you think, are we going to see the first “Hard Knocks” wedding? The Simpson-Romo nuptials?

(Laughs) I don’t know. That’d be interesting. I just hope I get invited.

But didn’t you two mend fences, you and Jessica?

(Silence) What’s that?

You joked on the radio last season that Jessica Simpson cursed your team when she attended a Cowboys game. Are you two cool now?

Oh, yeah. That whole debacle episode was totally blown out of proportion. I even called Tony on my way home that day and explained to him what was said and just the context or tone of what was said. As I explained to him, there was a bunch of laughter, this and that, and people made something out of nothing. I ended up meeting Jessica and, you know, we hung out at the Pro Bowl and all that good stuff. So it’s all water under the bridge.

Publicist: One more question, Sam.

What was that?

Go ahead.

(Looks at clock, does quick math in his head) How about maybe three more questions?

Publicist: Very fast.

(Talks faster) Jessica Simpson wrote a song about Romo for her new album …

Oh really?

Yeah. If she wanted to sing that song at a game, would you approve?

I mean, I’m all for it. Whatever she needs to do to promote her album. That’s part of her life. That’s part of their life. Obviously Tony means a lot to her for her to sing a song about him. That just goes to show you the newfound love they have for each other and how much they care about each other. So, dude, I have no problem. All I’m saying is, I can still make a joke about it, make light of the situation or whatever, and people will take that and run with it. But like I said, I’ve met Jessica and, you know, we’ve exchanged pleasantries or what not, and we’re cool. No harm, no foul, nothing.

What are your thoughts on the Cowboys’ offseason — like, say, the arrival of Pacman Jones and all his baggage and the team’s pursuit of Chad Johnson?

Oh, man. You know what? It’s double trouble. And that sounds like a negative, but it’s double trouble in a positive sense. We got one of the two, but if you bring both of those guys in? Pacman’s going to bring a lot of defensive presence at the cornerback position, and he brings an added spark with his return ability. And if we add Chad? Oh my god. Chad on one side and me on the other? It’s like, dude, who you going to cover? And we got Jason Witten? And we got Marion the Barbarian [Barber]? I mean, geez, pencil us in for the Super Bowl.

Final question: In that press conference, you cried while defending your quarterback’s performance in that season-ending playoff loss and his trip to Cancun the week before. When you finally got a chance to see it, what did you think? Did your reaction surprise you? Were you embarrassed?

Well, being that I know who I am, and how genuine I am, no, it didn’t surprise me. I think I’m a sensitive person. And everybody has a sensitive side. It’s just about whether you’re open to sharing it or not. At that particular time, it wasn’t anything I had any control over. Given that situation, I would do it again. Tony’s my quarterback. He’s been supportive of me. I’ve been supportive of him. We’ve established a great relationship, and that’s what it’s all about. And if you want to compare that to the other quarterback situations I’ve had — I’m going to bat for anybody who goes to bat for me.

Right on, T.O. I hope to see you at the Simpson-Romo wedding. (Reporter slips in another question.) Have you given any thought to their wedding gift?

Oh, of course. I’m probably going to bring them a life-size statue of myself.

(Laughs, very hard) Thanks T.O. I appreciate your time.

All right, thanks man.Here

Kobe Bryant said the back injury that sent him to the locker room, dropped him to his knees and had him wincing in pain throughout the Lakers’ loss to Utah in Game 4 won’t keep him out of Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals Wednesday night.

“I’ll play,” Bryant said. “I can’t imagine it being worse than what it was [Sunday] night.”

Bryant shot 13-for-33 in Game 4, making only 2 of 13 shots in the fourth quarter and overtime. He wrenched his back on a jump shot in the first quarter and it clearly bothered him throughout the game. At one point he was so landlocked that Utah’s Andrei Kirilenko merely had to stand on his tiptoes and reach from behind to block Bryant’s shot. His treatment has included electrical stimulation, ice, heat, massage and stretching.

Several members of the Jazz said they weren’t aware Bryant was hurting until after the game, and expect him to be at full strength in Game 5.

“If he puts on his uniform and plays, don’t worry about him being hurt,” Utah coach Jerry Sloan said Monday. “You’d better be ready to play the guy because he’s a great player and he’s got the ability to bury you in a lot of different ways. That’s what [great players] can do.”

Said Deron Williams: “I think Kobe’s going to be Kobe when it comes Wednesday. I’m not going to expect anything else.”

After winning the first two games of the series, the Lakers dropped both games in Utah and are deadlocked at 2-2. The free-flowing offense and excellent ball movement the Lakers enjoyed at home disappeared in the face of the Jazz’s better pressure defense in Salt Lake City. That was reflected in a dropoff of assists on 65 percent of the Laker baskets in L.A. to 44 percent in Salt Lake City.

“On the offensive end of the court we have to play with a — ‘purpose’ is the term I use a lot of times,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. “Sometimes we come down the court and we look like we’re not purposeful as a unit.”

Jackson said he expects Bryant to play, but that isn’t his primary concern.

“What I have to do is prepare this team to play,” Jackson said. Even in a wounded state, Jackson said, “We still think he’s efficient in what he did and what we did as a basketball team.”

When Bryant was asked if he should have shot so much after injuring his back he said, “I got some pretty good looks. They didn’t fall down for me. Some nights they do, some nights they don’t.”

He said his greatest challenge is elevating.

“I’m glad we don’t play tomorrow,” Bryant said. “It’ll give me another day to recuperate and get ready. I’ll be ready to go.”

In other news, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak spoke to NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson about the flagrant 2 foul Ronny Turiaf received in Game 4, and the Lakers don’t expect Turiaf to be suspended for Game 5. Here

CLEVELAND (AP) — Back to even, and back to Boston — with authority.

LeBron James scored 21 points, jamming in a powerhouse dunk over a defenseless Kevin Garnett in the final two minutes, as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the homesick Celtics 88-77 in Game 4 on Monday night to tie the best-of-seven series at 2-2.

Still stuck in a shooting slump, James dominated down the stretch and finished with 13 assists — four in the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers, whose defense has been overlooked, held the Celtics to just 12 points in the final period.

“We took care of home court and turned it into a three-game series,” James said.

Boston dropped to 0-5 on the road in the postseason, a stunning slip for a team that went 31-10 on the road during the regular season.

“It’s hard to say. I have no answer for it,” forward Ray Allen said.

During a short visit to Ohio, the Celtics lost their momentum in the series but will now head home, where they went 35-6 before the playoffs started.

Game 5 is Wednesday night, and Game 6 will be back in Cleveland on Friday.

“We’re disappointed right now,” forward Paul Pierce said. “I had a lot of shots that I usually make, but I’m not going to really dwell on it.”

James was just 7-for-20 from the floor, but he did everything else for the Cavs, who are attempting to overcome an 0-2 deficit for the second time in two years.

In the final 8:45, James had four assists, a 3-pointer and a right-handed dunk that rattled Quicken Loans Arena and became the signature moment of this series.

With the Cavs leading 82-75, James drove past Pierce on a screen near the foul line, head faked past James Posey and then posterized Garnett, the league’s defensive player of the year. As Cavaliers fans erupted, a scowling James stormed back on defense.

“I just wanted to be aggressive. I hadn’t had a play like that all series,” James said.

Although James is shooting only 20-of-78 (26 percent) from the floor, the only numbers the Cavs care about are the pair of 2s that show this series is as tight as possible.

Garnett scored 15 points, but only two in the second half, as Cavs forward Anderson Varejao harassed Boston’s All-Star all night. Allen had 15 points and Pierce 13, but the Celtics’ Big Three were only a combined 16-of-40.

James missed his first six shots in the fourth before draining a 3-pointer in front of Boston’s bench with 3:17 remaining to give the Cavs a 79-73 lead. After the ball swished through the net, James made an it’s-about-time shrug.

After a bucket by Pierce, James dished to Daniel Gibson for a 3-pointer as the Cavs opened a seven-point lead.

“They shot two big threes that were daggers,” Allen said.

At the other end of the floor, the Cavs swarmed all over the Celtics, giving the league’s best defensive team a dose of what they usually do to opponents. Cleveland contested every shot, and even when the Celtics had open looks, they missed.

Garnett inexplicably sat out the first five minutes of the fourth, and made just 2 of 9 shots after going 4-for-4 in the first.

Gibson and Wally Szczerbiak added 14 points apiece, Varejao had 12 and made two awkward jumpers in the final 1:10 to put the Celtics away.

James was on the floor nearly three hours before tip-off, working on his outside shot with assistant coaches Chris Jent and Lloyd Pierce, who helped him with his jumper off high pick-and-rolls while ushers, security guards and other Cavs employees watched in the near-empty arena.

“Just trying to catch a rhythm,” James said.

It was the first time in this postseason that James came in before a game for extra work. He did it last year following two sub-par performances in the conference finals against Detroit, and rebounded to lead the Cavs to four straight wins.

Rivers has been warning his players not to get “mesmerized by LeBron, he’s good enough.” The Celtics made sure James never got too far from their sights, and when Cleveland’s All-Star got loose on a fastbreak, Paul Pierce wrapped his arms around him to prevent a possible dunk.

The players’ momentum carried them into a crowded front row, where James’ mother, Gloria, tried to help her son by grabbing at Pierce. James yelled at her to sit down.

James made both free throws to give Cleveland a 41-33 lead, but seconds later, he picked up his third foul and had to come out. With James on the bench, the Celtics pounced and scored eight straight to tie it before the Cavs went to the locker room up 45-43 at half.

When Garnett dropped his first jumper, former Celtics player and current broadcaster Cedric “Cornbread” Maxwell removed his headphones, rose out of his seat and screamed, “Get down in the box,” toward the floor below.

Garnett seemed to hear him as he scored nine of Boston’s first 11 points, doing most of his damage from inside the lane. But with Varejao fronting him, Garnett got few other good looks at the basket in the first half and was even quieter after halftime.

Game notes
USC star O.J. Mayo, alleged to have accepted money from a sports agency, sat courtside. … James received four votes, including one first-team ballot, for the NBA’s all-defensive team. The 23-year-old’s defense has improved greatly over the past few seasons under Cavs coach Mike Brown, who thinks James will someday be recognized for his ability to stop others. “He’s only going to get better,” Brown said. “I do see him on that first team all-defensive team soon, and I expect to see him there for a long time.” Asked who defends him best, James mentioned San Antonio’s Bruce Bowen and Sacramento’s Ron Artest. … West left briefly in the first half with an irritated left eye. … On the road, the Celtics don’t go to the away arena for game-day shootarounds. Instead, they do a walk-through at their hotel. “Our guys enjoy the ballrooms,” Rivers said. … Boston fell to 25-30 in Game 4s.Here