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Sports 1B Monday February 8, 2010 Monday Soccer — Mercy at Liberty Christian Boys Basketball — Mercy at Quincy Girls Basketball — Mercy at Quincy NBA — Hornets at Magic, 5:15 p.m., TNT NBA — Mavericks at Warriors, 7:30 p.m., CSNBA NBA — Spurs atLakers, 7"30 p.m., TNT SCOREBOARD Bowling The week of Feb. 1-5 at Lariat Bowl: Monday Mixed Nuts Robert Funkhauser 259 - 744 Desiree Goff 235 - 583 Wednesday Men's Commercial Glenn Moline 279 - 636 Kory Gunderman 267 - 656 Kris Gunderman 259 - 636 Chris Goddard 256 - 722 Friday Adam & Eve Chris Gulliford 240 - 701 Rudy Cassados 210 - 522 Carole Harris 160 - 440 Diane Funkhauser 158 - 452 NBA By The Associated Press EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division W L Pct GB Boston 32 17 .653 — Toronto 28 23 .549 5 New York 19 31 .38013 1/2 Philadelphia19 31 .38013 1/2 New Jersey 4 46 .08028 1/2 Southeast Division W L Pct GB Orlando 34 17 .667 — Atlanta 32 17 .653 1 Charlotte 24 25 .490 9 Miami 24 27 .471 10 Washington 17 32 .347 16 Central Division W L Pct GB Cleveland 41 11 .788 — Chicago 24 25 .49015 1/2 Milwaukee 23 26 .46916 1/2 Indiana 18 33 .35322 1/2 Detroit 17 32 .34722 1/2 WESTERN CONFERENCE Southwest Division W L Pct GB Dallas 31 19 .620 — San Antonio29 20 .5921 1/2 Houston 27 23 .540 4 New Orleans27 24 .5294 1/2 Memphis 26 24 .520 5 Northwest Division W L Pct GB Denver 34 17 .667 — Utah 31 18 .633 2 Oklahoma City 29 21 .5804 1/2 Portland 30 23 .566 5 Minnesota 13 38 .255 21 Pacific Division W L Pct GB L.A. Lakers 39 13 .750 — Phoenix 31 21 .596 8 L.A. Clippers21 29 .420 17 Sacramento16 34 .320 22 Golden State13 36 .26524 1/2 ——— Sunday's Games Toronto 115, Sacramento 104 Orlando 96, Boston 89 Monday's Games Dallas at Golden State, 7:30 p.m. San Antonio at L.A. Lakers, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday's Games Sacramento at New York, 4:30 p.m. Ain'ts No More MIAMI, Fla. (AP) — Who Dat won the Super Bowl? The New Orleans Saints, that's who. Ain't kidding. Put away those paper bags for- ever. Drew Brees and the Saints are NFL champions, rallying to upset Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 Sunday night in one of pro football's most thrilling title games. Brees tied a Super Bowl record with 32 completions, the last a 2- yard slant to Jeremy Shockey for the winning points with 5:42 remaining, and was chosen the game's MVP. ''We just believed in ourselves and we knew that we had an entire city and maybe an entire country behind us,'' Brees said. ''What can I say? I tried to imagine what this moment would be like for a long time and it's better than expected.'' A surprise onside kick sparked the Saints' second-half comeback. Their 25th-ranked defense made several key stops, and Tracy Porter's 74-yard interception return on a pass from Manning, of all people, clinched it. Manning tried to give chase, but was blocked by a New Orleans defender and fell awkwardly as the cornerback raced by. The four- time NFL MVP forlornly walked to the sideline as the Big Easy cel- ebrations began. ''It's time for the Saints to cel- ebrate,'' he said. ''It's their field and it's their championship.'' An NFL embarrassment for much of their 43 years, the Saints' football renaissance, led by Brees and coach Sean Payton, climaxed with Shockey's touchdown and Lance Moore's 2-point conversion catch, originally ruled incomplete but overturned on Payton's chal- lenge. Porter's pick, just as dramatic as his interception of Brett Favre's pass to force overtime in the NFC title game, was the game's only turnover. It's one Manning will forever regret. The Saints (16-3) won three postseason games this winter after winning only two in the previous 42 years. They beat Arizona, Min- nesota and Indianapolis (16-3) — all division winners — for their first title, scoring 107 points and allowing only 59. The championship came 4 1/2 years after Hurricane Katrina rav- aged New Orleans, making the Saints nomads for the 2005 sea- son. There even was some doubt they would return, but the NFL refused to abandon the city. The Superdome was repaired and the Saints won the NFC South in '06, their first season with Brees and Payton. That was the season Manning won his only Super Bowl. He had the Colts, favored by 5 points, in front for much of this one, but New Orleans' league-leading offense, which scored 510 points this season, outscored Indy 31-7 after falling behind 10-0. That matched the biggest comeback in a Super Bowl. Payton held the Vince Lombar- di Trophy high over his head and ran into the end zone toward sev- eral hundred fans chanting the Saints' rally cry: ''Who dat, who dat, who dat say gonna beat dem Saints?'' Nobody can say it now. ''Everybody back in New Orleans gets a piece of this tro- phy,'' he said. ''I think I could kiss him,'' owner Tom Benson said. Before many of the 74,059 fans got settled following the Who's halftime show, the Saints worked a little football voodoo. Garrett Hartley's onside kick was touched by the Colts' Hank Baskett, then recovered by Chris Reis at the New Orleans 42. ''I just told our guys you've got to make me look good on this,'' Payton said. ''That really becomes like a turnover.'' Looking like the NFL's most potent offense, the Saints seized the opportunity to take their first lead. It came on Pierre Thomas' brilliant 16-yard run with a screen pass, capped by a dive into the end zone. Manning simply shrugged, found Dallas Clark for 45 yards on a 76-yard drive, and Joseph Addai used a spin move a figure skater would envy to score from the 4. But that was it for Indy. Hartley, the hero of the NFC title game with his 40-yard field goal in OT, made a 47-yarder later in the third period. After Matt Stover was wide left on a 51- yarder early in the final quarter, Brees led the biggest drive in Saints history. Manning looked sharp on the Colts' first two series, taking them 53 yards to a 38-yard field goal by Stover, at 42 the oldest player in Super Bowl history. Then Manning led a 96-yard, 11-play drive that appeared almost routine, even though it tied the longest march in a Super Bowl. Addai rushed for 53 yards on the series, and Manning found Pierre Garcon behind backup cornerback Osama Young for the 19-yard score on third down. New Orleans couldn't match that, but did get a 46-yard field goal by Hartley to make it 10-3. Brees was sacked on third down by All-Pro defensive end Dwight Freeney, who sure looked frisky despite ligament damage in his right ankle that made his availabil- ity uncertain for two weeks. Then Indy's defense, ranked 18th during the season but staunch in the playoffs, really showed some power. After the Saints marched 71 yards, including 40 yards on two receptions by Mar- ques Colston, New Orleans had third-and-goal at the 1. Mike Bell slipped running right behind All- Pro guard Jahri Evans, and Thomas was stacked up at the line by Gary Brackett and Clint Ses- sions on fourth down. Shootout? More like a slow- down. Indy had two three-and- outs and New Orleans had one. But the points came quickly after halftime — mostly for the Saints. New Orleans Saints cornerback Tracy Porter (22) runs for a 74-yard touchdown during the fourth quarter. MCT photos Saints' Pierre Thomas dives into the end zone for a score in the third quarter as the New Orleans Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, in Super Bowl XLIV. Rice leads class of 7 into Hall of Fame FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Here's how you stop Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith: Put them in the Hall of Fame and watch them break down and cry. The men who tore apart NFL defenses couldn't handle the emotions Saturday when they were elected to the shrine along with five others. ''They told me 'Don't cry,''' Rice said, his eyes wet with tears. ''It meant the world to me, just like winning a Super Bowl. On draft day, I didn't take that for granted. I didn't take this for granted.'' He could have. A nominee needs 80 percent approval from the 44 media members who vote and Rice and Smith were slam-dunks in their first year of eli- gibility. Vote totals aren't announced. ''I am just honored ... to stand up there with greatness,'' Rice added. Smith teared up when speaking about his father and how ''I was living his dream.'' ''We are blessed to achieve this level of greatness together,'' Smith said, referring to Rice. They will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 7. Rice and Smith each won three Super Bowls and was the MVP in one of those victories. Smith was the 1993 league MVP, as well. Rice, the NFL's career receiving and touch- downs leader, and Smith, the top rusher, were joined in the Hall by John Randle, Russ Grimm, Rickey Jackson, Floyd Little and Dick LeBeau. Little and LeBeau were elected as senior com- mittee nominees. Rice, the perfect receiver for the West Coast offense, played 20 seasons for San Francisco, Oakland and Seattle. He made 1,549 catches for 22,895 yards, had 14 1,000-yard seasons and scored 208 touchdowns. Smith, among the most durable running backs, rushed for 18,355 yards and 164 touch- downs for Dallas and Arizona. ''This is almost perfect,'' Smith said. ''I don't think even Steven Spielberg could have written a script this nice. So many people said I could not do it. I believed in that little giant inside of me that said I can.'' Added Rice, standing shoulder to shoulder with Smith: ''It's just like playing in that big game, this is something you think about, and it is happening. I never thought I would go in .... with this guy here. Steve Young, one of two Hall of Fame quar- terbacks who threw to Rice, got the first hug from the new inductee, then said: ''They made yards after the catch a stat because of Jerry Rice.'' Two other all-time top receivers, Cris Carter and Tim Brown, weren't elected. Carter, in his third year of eligibility, stands third in career receptions with 1,101, while Brown, in his first year on the ballot, made 1,094. Jackson, a do-everything linebacker with a great burst off the line, finished his 15-season career for New Orleans and San Francisco with 128 sacks. A six-time Pro Bowler, Jackson sparked the first turnaround by the Saints from Aints to contender, in the late 1980s. He helped the Saints to their first division title and playoff berth. Now, a day before the Saints appear in their first Super Bowl against the Indianapolis Colts, Jackson is Canton-bound. One little glitch: He was introduced as Randy instead of Rickey. Randle was that rare defensive tackle who was a premier pass rusher. An undrafted free agent out of Texas A&I, Randle had 137 1/2 sacks for Minnesota and Seattle, tied for sixth overall and most for his position, and led the league with 15 1/2 in 1997. He played in seven Pro Bowls. Jerry Rice played most of his career for the 49ers before going to the Raiders late.