SPORTS - Johnson, Hawks stun Magic 103-93 in Game 1 (AP)

SPORTS - Johnson, Hawks stun Magic 103-93 in Game 1 (AP)

AP – Atlanta Hawks' Joe Johnson (2) takes the ball to the basket as he is guarded by Orlando Magic's Quentin …

By KYLE HIGHTOWER, Associated Press Kyle Hightower, Associated Press – 2 hrs 9 mins ago

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Atlanta Hawks' dominance over the Orlando Magic this year is not just a regular-season phenomenon.

For now, it also includes the postseason.

Joe Johnson scored 25 points, Jamal Crawford finished with 23 and Atlanta beat Orlando 103-93 in Game 1 of their playoff series on Saturday, overcoming a monster night by Dwight Howard.

Atlanta was eliminated by Orlando in last year's playoffs in the most lopsided four-game sweep in NBA history, but this one was much different. The Hawks led by as many as 18 points while running multiple bodies at Howard all night, and the rest of the Magic failed to step up.

"It's a seven-game series and anything can happen," Hawks coach Larry Drew said. "All I wanted us to come in here and do is play hard and maintain our composure. ... I could tell our guys were ready for tonight's game."

Howard tied a career high with 46 points, to go along with 19 rebounds. Jameer Nelson had 27 points but no other Orlando player reached double figures.

The Hawks had five players with at least 13 points, earning their fourth straight victory against the Magic and erasing the sting of a six-game losing streak to close the regular season. Al Horford scored 16, Josh Smith had 15 points and eight rebounds and Kirk Hinrich added 13 points.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Tuesday night in Orlando.

"I think we just had to be excited about where we were," Johnson said. "We understood that we played this team four times this year and we won three of them. We're a confident group. I think the last six games of the season people kinda looked down on us because we lost all six. But now we have a plan. It's coming to fruition and we just have to go out and play together."

After shooting a dismal 36 percent in the first quarter, the Hawks connected on 30 of their final 52 attempts from the field. They also shot 6 of 14 from the 3-point line.

"No question it's different (from last year)," Horford said. "We're a different team this year. This year we feel much more confident."

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said Atlanta's strong shooting was too much to overcome and will be the focus of his adjustments going forward, along with reducing turnovers. The Magic had 18 giveaways that led to 21 Atlanta points.

The Hawks were in control throughout. They carried an 85-71 lead into the final period and caught a break when Howard was whistled for his fifth foul with 10:58 to play.

But even with Howard playing less aggressively underneath on defense, Orlando put together a 10-1 run that cut it to 92-83 with 4:40 left.

Howard banked in a hook shot with under two minutes remaining to make it 98-90. But a steal by Smith and 3-pointer by Crawford put the Magic back into scramble mode and Atlanta was able to play keepaway the rest of the game.

The Magic came out with some renewed offensive spirit in the opening minutes of the third, cutting Atlanta's lead to 57-53. The Hawks responded with an 11-0 run, aided by a string of Orlando possessions that produced either fouls or turnovers.

To compound matters, a few trips later Howard was hit with his fourth personal and a technical foul at the 5:37 mark for pulling Zaza Pachulia to the floor on a rebound attempt. Three straight free throws by the Hawks made it 71-54.

Nelson kept the Magic close, scoring Orlando's next 15 points to trim the edge to 80-69 with under two minutes to play in the period. He said there are no quick fixes to their woes in Game 1.

"I can't really put a finger on it right now," Nelson said.

The Hawks took a 55-48 advantage into the break, relying on hot shooting to keep them out in front for most of the half. Atlanta shot 55 percent overall, including a 14 of 17 from the field in the second quarter alone.

Howard went 16 for 23 from the field and 14 of 22 from the free-throw line, but he also had eight turnovers. Howard and Nelson combined for 26 of Orlando's 34 field goals.

Howard scored the Magic's first 12 points of the game and had 31 in the first half. His fellow starters and reserve Ryan Anderson combined to miss their first 10 field-goal attempts.

Hedo Turkoglu finally broke the scoring drought for Howard's teammates with a free throw at the 1:20 mark in the first quarter. And J.J. Redick picked up the first non-Howard field goal of the night a few trips later, dropping in a reverse layup off a behind-the-back pass from Gilbert Arenas in transition.

"It's frustrating that we lost," Howard said. "But it's the first game. ... We just need to keep playing."

NOTES: Howard's 31 points in the opening 24 minutes was a new first-half scoring high for the season. His previous best was 26 in the first half at Portland on Dec. 9, when the Magic lost 97-83. ... The 38 points the Magic gave up to the Hawks in the second quarter were the second-most points scored by an Orlando opponent in a half this season. ... During one stretch in the second and third quarters, Atlanta hit 18 of 24 shots from the field.

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SPORTS - Rose, Bulls rally past Pacers 104-99 in opener (AP)

SPORTS - Rose, Bulls rally past Pacers 104-99 in opener (AP)

AP – Chicago Bulls' Derrick Rose drives to the basket against the Indiana Pacers during the first quarter …

By ANDREW SELIGMAN, AP Sports Writer Andrew Seligman, Ap Sports Writer – Sat Apr 16, 5:27 pm ET

CHICAGO – Never mind what everyone else was thinking, Derrick Rose insisted he didn't expect the Chicago Bulls to roll over the Indiana Pacers.

They certainly didn't in Game 1.

Rose scored 39 points and found Kyle Korver for a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 48 seconds left, helping top-seeded Chicago stage a late rally to beat the Pacers 104-99 in their playoff opener on Saturday.

"We knew it was going to be a hard game," Rose said. "From the beginning I guess we weren't prepared for it. Next time I think we'll be ready."

For the Pacers, the loss was tough to accept. They controlled most of the game, but couldn't put it away.

They'd make little runs, Chicago would come back, and the Pacers would pull ahead again. With Rose staring at them, Danny Granger never felt safe.

"With Derrick Rose on the other team? No," Granger said. "With Derrick Rose on the other team, no. It's like a crazy stalker ex-girlfriend. Everytime you tell her you don't want to talk to her, she'll show up at your door again."

Trailing 98-88 in the final period, the Bulls showed the resolve that carried them to a league-best 62-20 record, closing with a 16-1 run over the final 3:38.

Rose scored seven during the impressive finish, including a three-point play and a floater that tied it at 99 with 1:27 left. He then hit Korver with a cross-court pass for a 3 that gave the Bulls their first lead at 102-99.

Danny Granger then missed a 3 and Joakim Noah got the rebound. Rose eventually hit two free throws with 14.8 seconds remaining.

Game 2 in this best-of-7 series is Monday night at the United Center.

Rose again showed why he is an MVP favorite even though he was off target. He missed each of his nine 3-point attempts but made 19 of 21 at the foul line and finished with six rebounds and six assists.

Luol Deng added 18 points and Korver finished with 13, no shot bigger than that 3.

Rose said an open 3 is "like a layup" for Korver, who credited the dynamic point guard for finding him.

"Derrick made a great read," Korver said. "If my man helps, he's going to kick it out to me. If he doesn't help, he's going to drive into the lane. That's why it's set up that way."

Granger led Indiana with 24 points, and Tyler Hansbrough shook off an elbow from Kurt Thomas to finish with 22. Darren Collison scored 17, but had just two in the second half, and the Pacers came up just short in their first playoff game in five years.

Even so, they gave the Bulls all they could handle.

With the Pacers leading by 10, Deng hit two free throws with 3:28 remaining to start the comeback. Noah followed with a tip-in and dunk to make it a four-point game, and the Bulls were on their way.

Exactly how far they'll go remains to be seen, but they're certainly aiming high after securing home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. They won nine straight and 21 of 23 down the stretch, and anything less than a big run would be a big disappointment.

Meanwhile, the Pacers will try to shake this one off and figure out how a game that looked so promising ended in defeat.

"We put forth a good effort, but who cares?" Granger said. "It's 0-1."

The Pacers were concerned late in the third quarter when Hansbrough was elbowed by Thomas as he was trying to rebound a miss by Rose. Hansbrough stayed down for several minutes and, still woozy, had to take a seat in the tunnel.

He eventually walked to the locker room on his own power. He returned with 5:33 remaining, and it looked as if he might lead the Pacers to a win.

Instead, the Bulls came surging back, erasing that deficit after Hansbrough hit back-to-back jumpers and converted a three-point play to make it 98-88. Now, they can breathe a little easier after a hard, physical game.

"Right now I'm feeling good and can't wait to go eat," Rose said.

For Indiana?

"This one hurts real bad," Roy Hibbert said.

NOTES: Chicago held a 49-34 rebounding advantage. ... The Bulls went 53-12 after a 9-8 start. ... Former Bulls assistant Johnny Bach presented the game ball before the opening tip.

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SPORTS - Michael comes back strong in A&M spring game (AP)

SPORTS - Michael comes back strong in A&M spring game (AP)

AP – San Jose Sharks right wing Dany Heatley (15) is unable to score past Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan …

By JOSH DUBOW, AP Sports Writer Josh Dubow, Ap Sports Writer – 44 mins ago

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Drew Doughty had two goals and two assists, Jonathan Quick made 34 saves and the Los Angeles Kings beat the San Jose Sharks 4-0 in Game 2 on Saturday night to even their first-round series at one game apiece.

Jack Johnson and Kyle Clifford also scored for the Kings, who bounced back from an overtime loss in Game 1 to seize home-ice advantage heading back to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Tuesday night.

The Sharks took too many undisciplined penalties and were unable to generate many good offensive chances against Quick, drawing the ire of their usually supportive fans who booed the home team sporadically throughout the game. Antti Niemi allowed the four goals on 23 shots to lose for the first time in four postseason starts at the Shark Tank.

The Kings came into the game reeling a bit, having lost the opener 3-2 and then having talented center Jarret Stoll suspended for a hit from behind on Sharks defenseman Ian White in Game 1. That left Los Angeles without two of its top centers in Stoll and injured Anze Kopitar against one of the deeper teams in the NHL up the middle.

But Joe Thornton and the rest of the Sharks were unable to take advantage and San Jose was shut out in the playoffs for the first time since an overtime loss at Colorado in Game 3 of the first round to Craig Anderson and the Avalanche last season.

Quick did a good job stopping the initial shots by San Jose and gave the Sharks few rebound opportunities. The shutout by Quick was the first in the postseason for the Kings since Felix Potvin beat Colorado 1-0 in Game 5 of the first round in 2002.

Coach Terry Murray knew it would take contributions from many players for the absence of Stoll and Kopitar. Murray got that from Quick and a pair of talented, young defensemen who were inconsistent at times this season who came up with the biggest plays.

Johnson and Doughty each scored power-play goals in the first period and the Kings took control when Doughty blasted a forehand from just inside the blue line through a screen and past Niemi to make it 3-0 with 4:18 left in the second period.

Doughty became the first Los Angeles defenseman to score two goals in a playoff game since Hall of Famer Paul Coffey did it against Edmonton twice in 1992.

Clifford added a goal early in the third period, shortly after the Kings killed off a power play chance for San Jose.

After scoring just one power-play goal in the final seven regular season games, the Kings struck twice on the man advantage in the opening period after a pair of offensive zone penalties on the Sharks. Both times, the player who drew the penalty, responded with the goal in the ultimate form of payback.

The first undisciplined play came when Ben Eager slashed Johnson in a retaliatory move. Johnson capitalized with a blast from the point through a screen by Ryan Smyth to beat Niemi for his first career postseason goal.

Just a few minutes later, Ryane Clowe was called for elbowing Doughty, who responded with a blast from the high slot that gave the Kings a 2-0 lead with 4:17 remaining in the period.

NOTES: This was the fourth time the Sharks have been shut out at home in the playoffs, with the most recent coming against Anaheim in 2009. ... Dustin Penner, a big midseason acquisition by Los Angeles, has gone 14 straight games dating to the regular season without a point. ... D Justin Braun made his playoff debut for the Sharks in place of White. ... Oscar Moller got the nod for the Kings after the team was unable to get John Zeiler through re-entry waivers in time to be called up from the minors.

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SPORTS - Hall of Fame voters wait their turn to judge Bonds (AP)

SPORTS - Hall of Fame voters wait their turn to judge Bonds (AP)

AP – Former baseball player Barry Bonds leaves federal court Wednesday, April 13, 2011, in San Francisco, …

By RONALD BLUM, AP Sports Writer Ronald Blum, Ap Sports Writer – Sat Apr 16, 1:52 pm ET

SAN FRANCISCO – While eight women and four men sat in the jury box preparing to judge Barry Bonds, another group that will evaluate the home run king was watching and listening in the federal courtroom, sitting on the wooden benches in the last five rows. Their votes will not be cast for 20 more months.

Several members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America attended the trial, myself among them. I was joined on nearly all the trial days by Gwen Knapp of the San Francisco Chronicle, Mark Purdy of the San Jose Mercury News, T.J. Quinn of ESPN.com and Michael Martinez of Foxsportswest.com. Shortly after Thanksgiving 2012, we and the other 10-year veterans of the BBWAA will receive Hall of Fame ballots in the mail that for the first time will have Bonds' name with a small box next to it.

The jurors' evaluation was limited to the three weeks of testimony, and they had to decide whether Bonds was guilty of making false statements to a grand jury about his use of performance-enhancing drugs and whether he obstructed justice. They debated their decision with each other over four days, and unanimity was required. The standard they were required to use was "beyond a reasonable doubt," and they were given 14 pages of instructions. Ultimately, they convicted baseball's all-time home runs leader of obstruction and deadlocked on the other counts.

The writers' upcoming assessment is less structured.

The only specified standard is "Voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played," with the addendum: "No automatic elections based on performances such as a batting average of .400 or more for one year, pitching a perfect game or similar outstanding achievement shall be permitted." While voters have the chance to speak with each other at ballparks, there is no formal forum for debate. Voters define the standards in their own ways, based on the limited guidance. A 75 percent vote is needed to gain election.

"The trial itself shouldn't really have changed anything for anybody," Quinn said. "I think if people are looking for a guilty verdict or an acquittal to give them some sort of a guide, that's a mistake. The reality is, he admitted to taking the drugs. The question is only whether he knowingly did it. A guilty verdict wouldn't have made it worse, and an acquittal wouldn't have erased that reality."

Bonds, a seven-time MVP, will appear on the ballot for the first time with seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens, who is scheduled for trial in July over his own drug denials. The results of the Hall vote will be announced in January 2013. Factoring in whether performances were boosted by steroids and human growth hormone — and by how much? — has complicated evaluations for the Hall of Fame electorate.

Mark McGwire has been the most prominent of the Steroids Era sluggers on the ballot so far.

He received 23.5 percent of the vote when he appeared for the first time in 2007 and then hovered at about the same level with 23.6 percent in 2008, 21.9 percent in 2009 and 23.7 percent in 2010. In the first vote after McGwire admitted using steroids and HGH on and off for a decade, his box was marked on 19.8 percent of this year's ballots.

Knapp thinks players might be better suited to make the Hall of Fame decisions, given what went on in the Steroids Era.

"This whole episode has convinced me even more that a group of veterans should be brought together to vote for the Hall of Fame," she said. "Even the athletes who have taken the stuff, even McGwire and Bonds knew there wasn't something right about this. I think it would be better to have all those guys in a room discussing it."

Major League Baseball and its players didn't jointly agree on drug rules from October 1985 until August 2002. In the years leading to the 2002 agreement, use of performance-enhancing substances was rampant and accepted in major league clubhouses.

Six of the top 14 home run hitters in baseball history have been tainted by steroids in some form or another. Bonds, first with 762, was positive for the designer steroid Tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) when his urine in the 2003 MLB anonymous survey was retested three years later by the UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory after it was seized by federal investigators.

Alex Rodriguez, sixth with 617 homers heading into the weekend, admitted two years ago he used steroids from 2001-03 after Sports Illustrated reported he tested positive in the 2003 survey.

Sammy Sosa, seventh with 609 homers, tested positive in the 2003 survey, The New York Times reported two years ago. McGwire, 10th with 583, admitted his steroids use. Rafael Palmeiro, 12th with 569, was suspended for 10 days in 2005 following a positive test. And Manny Ramirez, 14th with 555, was suspended for 50 games following a positive test in 2009 and then retired this month rather than face a 100-game suspension following another positive test.

Palmeiro appeared on the ballot for the first time this year and was on just 11 percent of the ballots. Players are eligible for BBWAA consideration starting in the sixth year following their retirement and can remain on the ballot for up to 15 times.

"My attitude about it is it is a great thing that there's a 15-year window, because I want to get as much information on the Steroids Era before I vote for anybody," Purdy said. "In that sense, the trial was interesting — the other players, when they came in were really interesting, apparently how easily steroids were obtainable for these guys."

While Hall voters have observed Bonds for more than two decades, the jurors were given only a small subset of information. Because trainer Greg Anderson refused to testify, prosecutors were barred from showing the jury three additional urine tests the government alleged were positive for performance-enhancing drugs — without Anderson's testimony, prosecutors couldn't authenticate the samples were taken from Bonds.

Outside the courtroom, there is far more evidence available about the slugger for Hall voters.

"For me, it didn't really affect my thoughts about him because I always felt he was certainly under a cloud of suspicion," Martinez said. "I was hesitant to vote for him in the first place, and this just kind of confirmed my belief, that my feelings are where they should be. If there's anybody that has either admitted to it or where there's a strong, strong suspicion — particularly A-Rod, Palmeiro, McGwire — I'm just not going to vote for them. Right or wrong, I'm not going to vote for them."

It's less obvious for others.

"He's tricky. He more than any other was such a clear-cut case before he was alleged to ever have taken anything," Quinn said. "We're in a period of time right now where the governing view seems to be if a guy doped, he's out, and I don't know if this is going to change. Things like this seem to move in cycles on what the collective wisdom is."

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SPORTS - Day 2 of NFL mediation ends; talks resume Tuesday (AP)

SPORTS - Day 2 of NFL mediation ends; talks resume Tuesday (AP)

AP – New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, left, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, right, leave the federal …

By DAVE CAMPBELL, AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell, Ap Sports Writer – Fri Apr 15, 4:37 pm ET

MINNEAPOLIS – Negotiators for the NFL and its locked-out players wrapped up a second day of court-ordered talks Friday with no signs of significant progress. They plan to sit down again next week.

The two sides left the federal courthouse in Minneapolis after about four hours of talks, following nine hours of meetings on Thursday. They will meet again Tuesday.

Hall of Famer Carl Eller, who is representing retired players in the antitrust lawsuit against the league, said he thinks the two sides are "moving forward" but the process "slowed a little bit" Friday.

"There is progress, but it wasn't like we're right around the corner," Eller said. "We could resolve it if we had met on the weekend, but maybe not."

U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan, who is overseeing the sessions, assigned some weekend homework, according to Michael Hausfeld, an attorney for the players.

"The judge has asked us to provide answers to over a half-dozen questions that he's asked," Hausfeld said, declining to provide details. "There's a lot of work."

With the 2011 season in jeopardy, Boylan is overseeing this round of talks after 16 days of mediated sessions in Washington failed to secure a new labor pact.

"We need to have some productivity," Eller said. "We need to come out of here with something, and I think that there is a sense of realism on the judge's part. It's not just talk. Just getting together to talk is not productive."

U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson, who ordered the mediation, is still considering a request from the players to lift the lockout imposed by the owners. After an April 6 hearing, she said she planned to rule on the injunction request in a couple of weeks — which would mean next week.

Players including MVP quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning filed the request along with a class-action antitrust suit against the league. The lawsuit has been combined with two other similar claims from retirees, former players and rookies-to-be, with Eller the lead plaintiff in that group.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, four team owners and several league executives and lawyers left the building without speaking to reporters. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello, via e-mail, declined to comment.

DeMaurice Smith, the NFL Players Association executive director, also refused to talk. He left the courthouse with lawyers and linebackers Ben Leber and Mike Vrabel, two other plaintiffs in the antitrust suit filed March 11 when the last collective bargaining agreement expired, the union dissolved and the lockout began.

At least the mood appeared light.

Reporters staking out the closed-door session were greeted with smiles and goodbyes from negotiators and attorneys as they departed. In a packed elevator on the way down to the lobby, Smith needled Vrabel by deadpanning to media members inside, "All right, in all seriousness, Mike is going to have a statement. You ready?"

Silence.

Then laughter.

The NFL's first work stoppage since the 1987 strike, of course, is no joke for either side — especially for the fans who pay to sit in the seats at sparkling new stadiums, buy replica jerseys to show their support and watch out-of-market games on satellite television.

"I'm a fan, too," Eller said earlier this week. "We would like to ease their minds. We can't tell them the outcome, but we are very interested in having a football season."

That's one shared goal between the two sides. With the dispute now in court, public relations is a major part of the effort for each side — through press releases, links and comments on Twitter, and communicating directly to the public in the push to get the message out.

"We're going to make sure we have football, and more of it," Goodell said this week in a conference call with Cleveland Browns season-ticket holders.

Said Smith after the April 6 hearing in Nelson's court: "Keep rooting for the players, and keep rooting for football."

Spin and rhetoric has been intense at times from both corners, but Aiello said the league doesn't view this as a public relations battle with the players.

"Our job always is to keep fans informed," Aiello said. "That is what we're doing in this situation."

NFLPA spokesman George Atallah didn't return messages this week.

The players have a website, nfllockout.com, that highlights community outreach and charitable efforts by the players and includes talking points for their side.

The NFL website, nfllabor.com, is a similar version for the league. Lead negotiator Jeff Pash recently wrote an op-ed column in the Chicago Tribune, stressing concessions the NFL has made with a list of highlights of its latest offer before talks broke down.

Eller sounded optimistic, not only about the progress but the opportunity to represent his fellow retired players, who have pushed for better benefits and care from the league for years.

"We don't drive this. We need them both," said Eller, referring to the current players and the league owners. "Our needs hinge on both of them. It's not an either-or situation for us. ...

"What I want the retirees to understand is that we are carving a unique situation. ... We're at the table, and I think this is something that they ought to be able to rejoice at an early stage, because where we go from here, it's going to be a major move."

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SPORTS - Nowitzki 28 for Mavs in Game 1 win over Portland (AP)

SPORTS - Nowitzki 28 for Mavs in Game 1 win over Portland (AP)

AFP/File – Spain's controversial three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador, pictured in 2010, won …

– Sat Apr 16, 12:23 pm ET

MADRID (AFP) – Spain's controversial three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador won the fourth stage of the Tour of Castilla y Leon on Saturday, a day after slipping down the overall standings after suffering flat tyres.

His compatriot Xavier Tondo, of the Movistar team, took over the leader's jersey from Dutchman Bauke Mollema after the individual time-trial in the northern town of Zamora.

Contador covered the 11.2 kilometres in 13 minutes, 42 seconds. Second was his Saxobank team-mate Richie Porte of Australia, 01sec back, and third Tondo, 03sec behind the winner.

Contador had been the hot favorite to take his third straight overall victory in the event, having already won the Tour of Murcia and the Tour of Catalonia this year.

But on Friday he lost almost three minutes after suffering two punctures.

After Saturday's stage, he is in 23rd position overall, 2min 37sec behind Tondo, who has a 09sec advantage over Mollema.

Contador is racing under threat of a ban from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and/or the International Cycling Union (UCI) following a positive test for trace amounts of clenbuterol during last July's Tour de France, where he claimed his third victory in the race.

He was cleared to compete in February when the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) rescinded an initial decision to hand down a one-year competition ban.

It accepted the rider's claim that he had unknowingly consumed drug-contaminated meat and was therefore not negligent.

The UCI and WADA announced separately last month they plan to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne over the acquittal.

The five-day Tour of Castilla y Leon concludes on Sunday with a relatively flat 167.7km ride from Madrigal de las Altas Torres to Medina del Campo.

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SPORTS - Doughty leads Kings past Sharks 4-0 in Game 2 (AP)

SPORTS - Doughty leads Kings past Sharks 4-0 in Game 2 (AP)

AFP/Getty Images/File – Victor Ortiz (pictured in 2010) on Saturday dethroned previously unbeaten World Boxing Council welterweight …

– 42 mins ago

MASHANTUCKET, Connecticut (AFP) – Victor Ortiz dethroned previously unbeaten World Boxing Council welterweight champion Andre Berto Saturday in an action-packed 12-round fight that saw both men on the canvas.

Ortiz emerged with a convincing unanimous decision, improving to 29-2-2 with 22 wins inside the distance as he captured the WBC belt.

Ortiz knocked down Berto for the first time in the first round, and Berto responded by sending the off-balance challenger to the canvas in the second.

Ortiz rattled Berto in the third and punished the champion in the middle rounds.

The sixth was a thriller as Berto, standing his ground in the middle of the ring, knocked down Ortiz, only for Ortiz to drop the champion later in the same round. It was Berto's first defeat in 28 professional fights.

The ringside judges scored it 115-110, 114-112 and 114-111 for Ortiz, who had a point deducted in one round for hitting behind the head.

"I fought like a possessed man, because that's what the world and the crowd of boxing made me," said Ortiz, who said he was stung by predictions that he couldn't beat Berto.

Berto had made five successful title defences since he knocked out Miguel Rodriguez in June 2008 to take the belt.

But he looked like he might not make it out of the first round on Saturday. Ortiz stunned him with a right followed by a left hook that appeared to put the champion down, although referee Michael Ortega ruled it a slip.

Ortiz produced another knockdown before Berto made it out of the first.

Ortiz was in control in the second when Berto backed him up with a short right. The challenger stayed on his feet and took a brief count from Ortega.

Ortiz piled on more pressure in the following rounds but in the sixth Berto woke up, punishing Ortiz before knocking him down with a right.

Seconds before the bell, however, Ortiz sent Berto down with another left hook.

"I think I was very highly underrated," the 24-year-old Ortiz said. "I knew I carried as much power as him, if not more."

Berto said he wanted a rematch.

"Ortiz did a great job," he said. "I wasn't there tonight -- nothing was falling into place."

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