The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 23

INSIDE Sorenstam wins 60th title Annika Sorenstam coasts at the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship, winning by 10 shots for a 60th LPGA title. The lead never fell below nine Sunday. D2 i THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR SECTION MONDAY, MAY 16, 2005 INDYSTAR.COMSP0RTS PISTONS 89, PACERS 76 SERIES TIED 2-2 GAME 5: 6 P.M. TUESDAY AT DETROIT TNT WIBC-1070 AM MONTH OF MAY: POLE DAY TONY KANAAN (227.566) SAM HORNISH JR. (227.273) SCOTT SHARP (227.126) Sac TED atrick fastest 9 iamaani on uole the smae i 7 4 mi.

TU 7 1 ft WW Hi 'I IB, Iff I I I i Yl- rhJ Jy. it i VI Hart For The Star Matt Iiwr The Star Thwarted at home again: Pacers forward Jermaine O'Neal (7) and guard Fred Jones (left) look on in dejection in the fourth quarter as Richard Hamilton (32) and the Pistons evened the series 2-2. Waiting game: Pole sitter Tony Kanaan waits nervously in the pit area to see if his qualifying speed of 227.566 mph would hold up during the first day of qualifying for the Indianapolis 500. INSIDE GAME 4 i I 1 Rookie's mistake costs her a shot at history When opportunity knocks on road, champs answer In the end, Anthony Johnson didn't really need to read the postgame score sheet. He didn't need to see the horrific numbers to confirm what everybody already knew: that the Pistons validate Game 4 guarantee by ripping Pacers By Mike Wells mike.wellsindystar.com The start, the first three minutes at least, seemed promising.

A quick seven-point lead. Then reality set in for the Indiana Pacers on Sunday at Conseco Fieldhouse. As the Detroit Pistons finally came back to life, the Pacers scrambled for answers. Jermaine O'Neal and Reggie Miller couldn't make a shot. Point guard Jamaal Tinsley couldn't get the ball to teammates.

For almost eight minutes, the Pacers didn't make a field goal. The result, for the second straight series, was a blown opportunity to gain controL Detroit backed up Rasheed Wallace's guarantee and controlled the final 45 minutes to beat the Pacers 89-76 and even See Pacers, Page D6 Pacers, presented with a chance to push the Pistons to the edge, completely stunk up the joint. Still, he had A makeup call? Apparently whining works. Detroit coach Larry Brown blasted the officials after a no-call late in Game 3 allowed Reggie Miller to clear enough space to hit a game-sealing jumper. In Game 4, with time running out in the first half, Anthony Johnson was called for an offensive foul after he separated himself from Carlos Arroyo before launching a shot from near midcourt.

Oops From the bad timing department: With 3:49 left, the video of Ashton Kutch-er, Samuel L. Jackson and Charles Barkley urging the crowd to "make some noise," was played on the center video screens. The Pacers trailed 84-68. Fans were heading for the exits. Jeff Rabjohns By Curt Cavln curt.cavinindystar.com Danica Patrick was the fastest driver Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but she wasn't fast enough to win the pole for the Indianapolis 500 on May 29.

That honor went to Tony Kanaan because Patrick, a 23-year-old rookie, bobbled slightly in the first turn of her qualifying attempt. Kanaan held onto the top spot throughout the first-of-its-kind qualifying session, and at the end of the day was still thinking about how close Patrick came to making some of the biggest news in the track's history. No woman has ever won the pole at Indy. Patrick ended up fourth. "I still thought she had it," said Kanaan, whose four-lap average was 227.566 mph, slower than all but one of Patrick's qualifying laps.

"She really did a great job, and that save, wow, now that was a save." Patrick had mixed feelings. "I feel like I wasted a pole car," she said. "But then again, maybe I saved it." See Pole, Page D8 Let's try it again Three drivers withdrew a qualifying effort to try to move up: Sam Hornlsh Jr. 1st 225.847 2nd 227.273 starting 2nd Hello Castroneves 1st 227.077 2nd 226.927 starting 5th Dario Franchlttl 1st wave off 2nd 226.475 3rd 226.873 starting 6th Inside Lineup: A look at the 22 qualifiers for the Indy 500. D8 Bob Kravitz -4 to see it for himself.

So, sitting in a chair with a towel around his waist, Johnson looked and looked at that score sheet, one hand on his forehead, looking like a man on the verge of a terrible migraine. "See anything interesting?" he See Kravftz, Page D6 Inn Millar Out For The Star Getting ready: Danica Patrick gets ready to climb into her car. She had the best practice time, but an early bobble cost her in i Snell hurls Tribe's 1st no-hitter in 31 years As good as it gets: Indianapolis Indians righthander Ian Snell allowed just one Norfolk batter to reach base, on a walk, for the team's first no-hitter since 1974. "I tried to mix my pitches and locations today," he said in a news release provided by the Indians. "Our coaching staff helped calm me down late in the game.

Everyone just told me to take a deep See Snell, Page D12 dians pitcher to throw a no-hitter since Tom Carroll on May 24, 1974. Snell (6-0) walked Ron Calloway with one out in the fifth inning. Calloway stole second base and advanced to third on Tribe catcher Paul Chiaffredo's throw ing error. Snell struck out the next two Tides batters to end the threat. The 23-year-old Snell acknowledged it wasn't easy to remain calm in the late innings.

He had pitches clocked as fast as 97 mph late in the game. Star special, news service reports Ian Snell pitched to just one batter over the minimum on the way to a no-hitter in the Indianapolis Indians' 4-0 victory Sunday over the Norfolk Tides at Victory Field. The right-hander is the first In lit aV 'rT-Y Keith Prltctafd for The Star TENNIS CROSSING BORDERS INSIDE STUFF FROM RUSSIA TO REGGIE WITH LOVE JUST isssirsij STAR OF THE DAY TIN0 MARTINEZ The Yankees first baseman hit two more home runs Sunday in a 6-4 win over the A's, giving him 10 in his past 11 starts. Martinez, who returned to the Yankees this year after one season with the Devil Rays (2004) and two with the Cardinals (2002-03), has 12 homers and 29 RBIs this season. Martinez hit just 23 HRs last season, 15 in 2003 and 21 in 2002.

nesters are well-positioned to benefit because they appeal to both sports fans and doll collectors. Gary Nelson, director of merchandising for Pacers Sports Entertainment, said the Reggie doll is not sold at the Fieldhouse. Nesters have been popular giveaways for promotions, but still aren't nearly as popular on the retail level as the bobbleheads, he said. "The demand has not surfaced," Nelson said. Michael Pointer William Moore wants Indiana Pacers fans to commemorate Reggie Miller's retirement with a nester.

Nesters are hand-cut, painted small dolls based on the marresWca dolls that have been popular in Russia for more than 100 years. Moore is the executive vice president of Newcrafters, which produces sports-figure nesters for the NBA. They've created a nester doll of Miller ($14.95, matreshka.com). Moore said sales of bobble-head dolls are declining, and Venus Williams (left) volleyed with Ipek Senoglu on the Bosporus bridge Sunday in an exhibition match called the first to be played on two continents. Williams and her Turkish opponent played for about five minutes on a lane of the bridge that connects Asia to Europe.

"I could never have dreamed of such a thing. It was very exciting," Williams told the Anatolia news agency. The match promoted the WTA's Istanbul Cup, which starts today in Turkey. JIM Sources: Star and news service reports MINUTE Going beyond the headlines SPORTS PHONE: 317.444.6502 AHESPORTS: Tim Wheatiey.