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Tuesday NBA Playoffs — Bulls at Heat, 5:30 p.m., TNT NHLPlayoffs — Sharks at Cancuks, 6 p.m., VS French Open — First Round, 9 a.m., ESPN2 MLB— Mets at Cubs, 5 p.m., WGN MLB— Athletics at Angels, 7 p.m., CSNC MLB —Marlins at Giants, 7 p.m., CSNB Sports 1B Mavs rally to win Game 4 OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Dirk Nowitzki scored 40 points, Jason Kidd hit the go-ahead 3- pointer with 40 seconds left in overtime and the Dallas Maver- icks overcame a 15-point deficit in the final 5 minutes of regula- tion to stun the Oklahoma City Thunder 112-105 on Monday night and take a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals. Dallas didn’t lead until Now- itzki hit two free throws 16 sec- onds into overtime, needing to rally from a 99-84 deficit in the final 5 minutes of regulation. The Mavericks never let the Thunder go ahead in the extra period. Kevin Durant missed a 3- pointer on Oklahoma City’s opening possession of overtime then didn’t get another shot until he missed a 3 off the front rim in the final 10 seconds with the Thunder down by five. He fin- ished with 29 points and 15 rebounds. Vogelsong emerging as latest Giants star SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Ryan Vogel- song was still soaking in his first major league victory in almost five years, humbled and overwhelmed after what felt like a lifetime of trying to recreate the moment. San Francisco Giants teammate Aubrey Huff was stand- ing a few lockers over and asked him what all the fuss was about. ‘‘I’m thinking, ’My gosh, time flies doesn’t it?’’’ Huff said. ‘‘Cause it seems like I just faced you in Pittsburgh. Vogelsong said, ’Well, maybe for you time flew. Not for me.’’’ Certainly not. Vogelsong’s pitching career had come close to ending countless times. He was a promis- ing prospect with the Pirates more than a decade ago, he had elbow ligament replace- ment surgery, failed in the big leagues, bounced out of the minors, struggled in Japan and at age 33 fig- ured his career might be over. ‘‘I never thought of quitting,’’ he said. ‘‘Just the thoughts going through my head, ’Is this it?’ I wasn’t sure I pitched well enough to get another opportuni- ty.’’ One last chance came this season from the most unlikely team: the defending World Series champions Giants. Vogelsong didn’t make the club out of spring training, and how could he? Not with Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, Madison Bumgarner and Barry Zito filling out one of the best rota- tions in baseball. So he went back to riding buses and staying in motels for Triple-A Fresno, not an easy decision with his wife, Nicole, and son, Ryder, now 20 months old, left to share the burden. He was in the stands at a game in Las Vegas charting pitches for his next start when the manager asked for his cell phone number, informing him that Zito was placed on the dis- abled list with a sprained right foot and the Giants were looking for a replacement. Sure enough, just before Vogelsong boarded the bus, his phone rang. Giants Vice President Bobby Evans was on the other end. Vogelsong was heading back to the big leagues to make a fill-in start for San Francisco against — who else? — the Pirates. All he has done since has been spectacular. At a time when most pitchers are in the twi- light of their career, Vogelsong is 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA since replac- ing Zito — who’s in the fifth year of his $126 million, seven-year deal MCTfile photo Ryan Vogelsong has hand a stand out season for the San Francisco Giants. and could lose his spot in the rotation to a red- hot pitcher for the sec- ond straight season — and the Giants have won all five times Vogelsong has started. ‘‘He has really done an incredible job,’’ Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. ‘‘The long road he’s been through, he’s a better pitcher and player because of it. It’s a great story, isn’t it?’’ There was a time not so long ago when Vogelsong’s journey didn’t seem headed for a happy ending. Vogelsong went 6-13 with a 6.50 ERA in 2004 with the Pirates and was moved to the bullpen the next season. By 2006, he was back in the minors. Then Japan. Life was a whole lot different across the Pacific, where starting pitchers often travel ahead of the team and don’t stay for games. There was a language barrier and a complete culture shock, especial- ly for a guy who makes his offseason home just outside Philadelphia. One night some Japanese teammates asked Vogelsong to join them for dinner at a sushi bar. Somebody ordered fish guts for the table. Vogelsong was stunned. ‘‘I asked, ’What’s that?’ They said, ’Don’t worry about it,’’’ Vogel- song recalled, chuck- ling. ‘‘Their whole thing is everything is good for you. It will give you power. That’s what they say. I didn’t want to disrespect them and not try it. I tried it. It wasn’t very good at all.’’ Quite frankly, neither was his pitching. After going 11-14 in three years in Japan, Vogelsong spent last season playing for minor league teams of the Los Angeles Angels and Philadelphia Phillies. Then he was cut from the roster again. In what figured to be his last chance at the big leagues, he was invited to camp with the Giants, who had first drafted him in 1998 before sending him to Pittsburgh. Suddenly, Vogelsong began to put it all together. Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti believes Vogelsong’s turnaround is in large part because the right- hander learned to be more of a pitcher than a thrower, able to locate strikes and outthink hit- ters instead of simply trying to overpower them. Vogelsong agreed and offered even further explanation. ‘‘I just have a better understanding of myself now. I can slow the game down and feel my body out there,’’ he said. ‘‘In the past, I could always figure out what I was doing wrong. But it was always an inning late, a hitter late, now I’m always able to make adjustments out there.’’ Vogelsong has already collected his share of highlights this season: getting his first major league victory since 2006 in Pitts- burgh, taking a perfect game into the sixth against Colorado and receiving a standing ovation as he walked off the mound, calling it ‘‘the best experience I ever had in baseball.’’ Vogelsong’s addition has helped the Giants begin Monday with a 3 1/2-game lead over the Rockies for first place in the NL West, and there might not be any- body on San Francis- co’s roster relishing the moment more than Vogelsong. ‘‘To go through what I went through and get back, it’s definitely much more appreciat- ed,’’ he said. ‘‘I always realized how great it was to be a big league baseball player. But once you’re gone and you’re away from it, to be back in the big league life, it’s definite- ly much more appreci- ated.’’ Thank you and congratulations. Tehama Tracker TRACK &FIELD The Lady Spartans junior varsity team placed third at Fri- day’s Division 1 Championships. Kayla Thayer won the shot put and discus. Laurel Shoop won the 800 meters with a time of 2:38.33 and was second in the high jump. The 4x100 relay team of Taylor Wood, Hailey Carlon, Claire Samay and Catherine Reineman placed second. Wood, Carlon, Samara Robinson and Shoop were fourth in the 4x400. Sofia Oropeza placed second in the 3200 meters and fourth in the 1600 meters. Carlon was third in the 100 meters. Gabby Thurman placed third in the 200 meters, fourth in the 100-meter hurdles and seventh in the long jump. Reineman was sixth in the 200 meters and seventh in the 100 meters. Taylor Wood was fifth in the 400 meters. Shelby Thomas placed fifth in the high jump. Marisol Polanco was eighth in the 300-meter hurdles. Samay was eighth in the long jump. Boys The boys team placed sixth. David Gomez was second in the 200 meters and eighth in the long jump. Braden Eggert placed second in the discus. Cody Demerath, Stephen Hackstaff, Dylan Schaible and Gomez placed third in the 4x100. Hackstaff, Dylan Holbrook, Austin Torres and Gomez were fifth in the 4x400. Jordan Johnson was fourth in the 800 meters. Jordan McManus was fifth in the 3200 meters and sixth in the 1600 meters. Kyle McCauley was fifth in the shot put. Torres placed fifth in the triple jump. Holbrook took fifth in the high jump and Torres was sixth. Hackstaff and Schaible tied for seventh in the 100 meters. TRACK &FIELD The Lady Cardinals junior varsity team turned in a sec- ond place performance, Friday, at the Division 2 Champi- onships. Caitlin McCoy won the 400 meters (1:03.80), 800 meters (2:36.62) and 100-meter hurdles (17.12). Cardinals went 1-2-3 in the shot put as Morgan Parker won, followed by Jordin Wazny and Paige Hartman. Parker also won the discus, with Wazny in second and Rachel Bentz in eighth place. Parker also placed third in the high jump. Jessica Beckley, McCoy, Marisol Valencia and Angelina Calderon were second in the 4x100. Valencia, Lilia Vazquez, Guadalupe Miron and Karly Lira were third in the 4x400. Beckley was third in the 100 meters. Ana Carillo placed third in the 3200 meters. Elizabeth Solano was fourth in the pole vault. Vazquez was seventh in the 100-meter hurdles and fourth in the long jump. Lira was eighth in the 200 meters. Elizabeth Solano was eighth in the 300-meter hurdles. Boys The Corning junior varsity boys placed seventh out of the 10 schools. Rogelio Silva placed second in the 3200 meters and was fifth in the 1600. Jesus Diera was fourth in the 800 and 1600 meters. Franky Maaele was fifth in the high jump. Luis Espinoza was seventh in the 400 meters. Kyle Cunningham-Dickens, Dan Libbee, Wyatt Linnet and Timothy Mesa were seventh in the 4x400 relay. Thornton to play Game 5 SAN JOSE (AP) — San Jose Sharks captain Joe Thorn- ton is expected to play a potential elimination game in Game 5 of the Western Conference final despite leaving the previ- ous game with an injury. Thornton was hurt on a shoulder-to-shoulder check by Raffi Torres in the third period of a 4-2 loss to the Vancou- ver Canucks on Sunday that put the Sharks in a 3-1 series hole. He did not return to the game and did not take part in an optional practice Monday before the team flew to Van- couver. But coach Todd McLellan said he expects Thornton to play Tuesday night, even if he is not 100 percent. Thornton was not available to the media on Monday but told coach Todd McLellan he will be ready to play. ‘‘When Joe Thornton comes to you and tells you he’s playing, he’s playing,’’ McLellan said. ‘‘That can happen in exhibition season, that can happen at ... a charity game in the middle of the summer.’’ Thornton leads the Sharks with 17 points this postseason and has also done a good job defensively when matched up against the opponent’s top line. The Sharks face long odds to come back in this series after losing three of the first four games. Those odds would have become even more daunting if Thornton was unable to play. Tuesday May 24, 2011 Athletes of the Week winners Please help us with our head count for the Athletes of the Week Banquet by RSVPing before Thursday. Call 527-2151, ext. 120 and leave a voice mail with your name and how many guests ($12.50 per plate) will be attending with you. Division 1 JV Championships Dallas 112 Okla. City 105, OT 3-1 DAL Division 2 JV Championships San Francisco Giants San Jose Sharks