The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page C1

SECTION SUNDAY, MAY 30, 2010 Sports Chicago takes opener of Stanley Cup finals The Blackhawks, trying to end a 49 -year title drought, hold off the Flyers 6-5. C2 H.S. tennis: Carmel girls advance. C9 Weigh in on Facebook on top sports headlines Join the conversation on our local sports page at Facebook Stay up to date at rn.indystar.com On your mobile device, check out the latest news 247 at m.indystar.com Live sports scores on your cell phone Send a text message to 44636 (4INFO) with COLLEGE (Purdue) or PRO TEAM (Pacers). Fever vs.

San Antonio Thursday, June 3 7 p.m. Text FEVER to 59925 for details It; PARTY CRASHERS? NOT IN THE NBA PLAYOFFS NIGHT BEFORE THE 500 Younger Swanson outruns Clauson After briefing on track from his older brother, he takes midget race By Patrick Dorsey patrick.dorseyindystar.com CLERMONT, Ind. O'Reilly Raceway Park veteran Kody Swanson asked the crowd one question after finishing Saturday's NOS Energy Drink Night Before the 500: "How 'bout that kid Swanson, huh?" He wasn't referring to himself. Swanson, the 22-year-old California resident who took third Saturday night, was talking about younger By Mike Wells mike.wellsindystar.com The NBA conference finals had a familiar feel. Don't they always? Three of the four teams the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, Boston and Orlando had been there at least once in the past two years.

Phoenix made it for the third time in six years. Truth is, the entire NBA playoffs usually have a familiar feel, which explains why those signs read: "Beat L.A." as opposed to, SEE MORE: Go to brother Tanner Swanson, who won the race in his ORP debut, beating Noblesville's lndyStar.com multimedia to view a photo gallery. say, Beat Memphis. Since 1990-91, CHART IT: NBA and NFL teams in the playoffs. C8 L.A.

IN FINALS: Lakers eliminate the Suns 111-103. C7 77 percent of playoff teams made it back the next year. Just four new teams made it this year, and three lost in the first round. 4 3 MATT DETRICH The Star DIFFERENT IN NFL: Saints QB Drew Brees celebrates a Super Bowl win in February. The Saints missed the playoffs the year before.

Bryan Clauson for the United States Auto Club Midget Series victory. "This is unreal," 19-year-old Tanner Swanson said. It almost didn't happen. Swanson is not a regular in the Midget Series and didn't secure his ride from DMS Racing until last week. But after a run in Iowa a week ago, he got the call and the chance to take his first laps at ORP on Saturday morning, after a long talk with his older brother about the ins and outs of the track.

It seemed to work quickly. Swanson started first, one spot ahead of Clauson. Then, after a seemingly endless one-on-one battle around the track Swanson called it "some of the toughest racing you'll do" he pulled away from Clauson on the 32nd lap. The latter had led the previous 30. Swanson then pulled away, See Swanson, Page C6 The Indiana Pacers used to be in the perennial playoff group but now are dealing with the dark reality of NBA have-nots, specifically: Once the engine goes, it takes years to rebuild.

The Pacers have missed the past four playoffs, but that's hardly unique, and in some cities, they'd just be getting started. Since 1990-91, 23 teams have had playoff droughts at least that long. Eight missed at least eight consecutive years. Dallas missed the playoffs 10 consecutive years before Dirk Nowitzki changed their fate. When the Pacers will return to prominence is anybody's guess.

Only Boston has won the NBA championship after missing the playoffs the previous season. Its trick? The Celtics traded for two future Hall of Famers to go with All-Star Paul Pierce. "If you look at the league, historically, making the playoffs for most franchises is not a simple process," See Crashers, Page C8 MARK J. TERRILL Associated Press BACK AGAIN: Kobe Bryant and the Lakers are in the playoffs for the fifth year in a row. L.A.

has missed the playoffs once since Bryant was drafted in 1996. PHILLIES 1, MARLINS Phillies' Halladay simply perfect 27 UP, 27 DOWN: Roy Halladay makes a ninth-inning pitch during his perfect game against the Florida Marlins on Saturday night. He strikes out 11 in baseball's 2nd perfect game this month, just the 20th in big-league history Associated Press Stoic as always, Roy expression never MIAMI Halladay's "Really, once I got the two outs, I felt like I had a chance. You're always aware of it. It's not something that you expect." It was the second perfect game in the majors this month alone, unheralded Dallas Braden doing it for Oakland against Tampa Bay on May 9.

It's the first time in the modern era that there were a pair of perfectos in the same season Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez threw a no-hitter, too, in April. Halladay struck out 11, and was See Halladay, Page C3 night. At 9:23 p.m., when he got pinch hitter Ronny Paulino to hit a grounder to third for the 27th out, only then could Halladay bask in his moment breaking into a big smile and wrapping his arms around catcher Carlos Ruiz before disappearing in a joyous, jumping gray-and-red mob of teammates. "It's never something that you think is possible," Halladay said. changed.

Until the end, that is. Until there was history a perfect game, the marquee performance of his All-Star career. The Philadelphia Phillies' ace threw the 20th perfect game in major league history, beating the Florida Marlins 1-0 on Saturday WILFREDO LEE Associated Press 2-3 HEY, KIDS, CHECK IT OUT Practice with the Pacers The Indiana Pacers will conduct five free skills clinics for boys and girls ages 8-14 in mid-July. Each site can accommodate 100 children; parents may log on at pacers.com or call (317) 917-2500 to register your child. Deadline is July 2.

The sites of each workout: July 12: Jewish Community Center, 6701 Hoover Road. July 13: Covenant Christian High School, 7525 W. 21st St. July 14: Greenwood Community Center, 100 Surina Way. July 15: Benjamin Harrison YMCA, 5736 Lee Road.

July 16: Washington High School, 2215 W. Washington St. The Indiana Fever's record after Saturday night's 79-74 loss at Tulsa. Story, C7 At -Sis.