1. NBA FINALS
Associated Press/BEN MARGOT
Cleveland’s LeBron James had a
triple-double in Sunday’s game.
SPORTS SECTION
B
NEWS-JOURNAL
MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2015
STAN’S THE MAN
Wawrinka denies top-seeded
Djokovic chance at career Slam
by winning French title. PAGE 3B
Associated Press/SETH WENIG
American Pharoah’s group likely will give
the colt some rest until August.
By ED MCNAMARA
Newsday
In a moment 37 years in the making,
owner Ahmed Zayat, his wife, Jo-
anne, trainer Bob Baffert and jockey
Victor Espinoza pulled together on a
cord Sunday morning and unveiled
a banner. Before American Pharoah
charged into history in Saturday’s Bel-
mont Stakes, many thought racing had
seen its final Triple Crown hero.
Ahmed’s blue and yellow silks hung
from the ceiling on Belmont Park’s
fourth floor beside the colors of the
other 11 Triple Crown winners: Sir
Barton, Gallant Fox, Omaha, War
Admiral, Whirlaway, Count Fleet,
Assault, Citation, Secretariat, Seattle
Slew and Affirmed.
American Pharoah’s 5-length run-
away made the bay colt that rarest of
creatures, a living immortal. Ahmed
reiterated his intention to have his
superstar’s millions of fans see him
in the flesh again. They’ll have their
first opportunity Saturday at Churchill
Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, where
the colt will be paraded down the
stretch. Ahmed said he will be there to
HORSE RACING
Rest now coming for Pharoah
Associated Press/DERIK HAMILTON
Martin Truex Jr. has endured personal and professional tragedy since he last was in Victory Lane. But the
Furniture Row Racing driver broke his 69-race winless drought Sunday at Pocono Raceway.
By DAN GELSTON
Associated Press
LONG POND, Pa. — Martin Truex Jr.
slapped the top of his No. 78 Chevro-
let, thrust his right fist toward the
sky and bounded straight into his
girlfriend’s arms.
They hugged, kissed and Truex
lifted her into the air.
Truex has stood by Sherry Pollex’s
side through her fight with ovarian
cancer. Pollex was strong for Truex
when his career was in flux after
a scandal that cost him a shot at a
championship and his ride.
On Sunday at Pocono Raceway,
they were set for an overdue cele-
bration.
Truex led the most laps for the
fourth consecutive race, only this
time he was in front on the one that
mattered most, breaking through
for his first Sprint Cup victory since
2013.
“This is easily the biggest win of
my career,” Truex said.
Truex won the race and NA-
SCAR’s version of a popularity con-
test in Victory Lane. Rival drivers,
owners, crew members popped by
for high-fives and congratulato-
ry messages. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
hugged Pollex. Jimmie Johnson
fist-bumped Truex.
“He’s had more to overcome
personally and professionally than
probably anybody sitting in that
seat right now,” Johnson said.
Truex and Pollex, a couple since
2005, have endured their share of
personal and professional heartache
in the past 18 months. Pollex was
diagnosed with cancer in summer
2014 and she had various organs re-
moved, including her ovaries, fallo-
pian tubes and part of her stomach.
Furniture Row Racing owner
Barney Visser told Truex he could
sit out the rest of the season after
Pollex’s diagnosis and still keep
his ride for this season. Although
greatly appreciative, Truex declined
the offer. He found the track ther-
apeutic and kept him focused on
something other than her disease.
But he always was a steady sup-
port system for Pollex.
“She showed me what she was
made of,” Truex said.
Pollex tweeted a selfie with Truex
and the Pocono trophy from Victory
Lane that said, “Chemo Monday
victory lane Sunday.”
“It never gets any better than
this,” Truex said. “It takes time
to heal things, especially with
what Sherry and I went through.
This makes you forget all about it.
Sherry’s here healthy and she’s as
excited as I am.”
Truex took another hit when
his grandmother, Roberta, died
Wednesday in the family hometown
of Mayetta, New Jersey.
“I think the racing gods were
hanging out with my grandma
today,” Truex said.
Truex dominated off late restarts
down the stretch to snap a 69-race
winless streak.
SPRINT CUP
MAGIC ELIXIRAfter coming oh-so-close recently, Truex gets elusive victory
Associated Press/ANNE M. PETERSON
American Abby Wambach might not play as
much in this World Cup. but still wants to
make an impact.
By MARC NARDUCCI
The Philadelphia Inquirer
NEW YORK — During a much
earlier part of her career,
U.S. women’s national team
forward Abby Wambach
never would have considered
watching the game from the
sideline.
In those days Wambach
would impose her will on
many overmatched defenses
for the entire 90 minutes.
But as she enters the
twilight of a record-setting
career, Wambach is not will-
ing to concede much except
maybe she doesn’t always
have to be on the field for
every minute.
The United States opens
the World Cup today against
Australia in Winnipeg.
Wambach, who turned 35 on
Tuesday, remains a central
figure in her team’s chance at
winning its first gold medal
since 1999.
U.S. opponents might see
Wambach in doses. But as
WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
Wambach still wants to be force
Golden State 1, Cleveland 1
All games to be televised on ABC
x-if necessary
June 4: Golden State 108, Cleve-
land 100 (OT)
Sunday: Cleveland 95, Golden
State 93 (OT)
Tuesday: at Cleveland, 9 p.m.
Thursday: at Cleveland, 9 p.m.
x-June 14: at Golden State, 8 p.m.
x-June 16: at Cleveland, 9 p.m.
x-June 19: at Golden State, 9 p.m.
Up Next
The 3-year old colt could compete
in one of four races in August, quite
possibly the Haskell on Aug. 2 at
Monmouth Park in New Jersey. The
ultimate goal would be the $5 million
Breeders’ Cup Classic, to be run
Oct. 31 at Keeneland in Lexington,
Kentucky.
Up Next
What: Quicken Loans 400
Where: Michigan International
Speedway
When: 1 p.m. June 14
TV/Radio: Fox Sports 1/1150 AM
Inside
Motorsports roundup, Saturday’s
and Sunday’s results, PAGE 3B
U.S. Group D Schedule
Tonight: vs. Australia,
7:30 (Fox Sports 1)
Friday: vs. Sweden, 8 p.m.
(Fox)
June 16: vs. Nigeria, 8 p.m.
(Fox)
Inside
Roundup of Sunday’s games,
new details emerge in 2014
arrest of USA goalie Hope
Solo, PAGE 5B
SEE PHAROAH, PAGE 3B
SEE WAMBACH, PAGE 5B
SEE TRUEX, PAGE 3B
By ANTONIO GONZALEZ
Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif. — The Big Three has
faded. The Terrific Two is gone. But
the Cleveland Cavaliers are head-
ing home with the NBA Finals tied
at a game apiece.
All thanks to the Chosen One and
his scrappy teammate from Down
Under.
LeBron James turned in a tri-
ple-double to remember, Matthew
Dellavedova made the go-ahead free
throws in overtime and the Cav-
aliers overcame a fourth-quarter
collapse to outlast the Golden State
Warriors 95-93 on Sunday night.
James finished with 39 points, 16
rebounds and 11 assists in 50 min-
utes, carrying Cleveland’s depleted
roster to victory on the NBA’s
toughest home floor. The Warriors
had been 47-3 at ear-piercing Oracle
Arena.
“I tried to give it all to my team-
mates. And they do a great job of
giving it back to me. Total team
effort,” said James, who shot 11 of
Cavaliers
rise up to
challenge
Without Irving,
Cleveland gets split
SEE CAVALIERS, PAGE 2B
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