Quick Hits: April 28th, 2006

Another milestone for LeBron James: his first winning shot in the playoffs.
Steve Howe, the relief pitcher whose promising career was derailed by cocaine and alcohol abuse, died Friday morning when his pickup truck rolled over in Coachella, Calif. He was 48.
Greg Maddux picked up a win and is 5-0 for the first time in his career. He has five of the Cubs’ 13 wins and a 1.35 ERA. He earned his 323rd victory, one win shy of tying Nolan Ryan and Don Sutton for 13th place all-time.
Posey, called for a flagrant foul two and ejected with 3:15 left in the game, will miss Game 4 of the Eastern Conference series Sunday.
Grizzlies guard Mike Miller won the NBA’s Sixth Man Award on Friday after making the transition from starter to key reserve. Miller led the NBA in scoring off the bench this season, averaging 13.7 points. He ranked second in scoring for the Grizzlies and was second in rebounding with a 5.4 average. He also tied for third in assists.
Rod Brind’Amour scored 5:54 into the third period to give Carolina a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens that tied the first-round playoff series on Friday night.
After ordering teams to relax front bumpers for the race this weekend at Talladega, a tiny bit of contact might cripple a car and drivers didn’t want to risk it during Friday’s two practice sessions.
By taking Mario Williams #1 in tomorrow’s NFL draft, the Houston Texans have thrown a huge curve into the first few picks. The Saints, which were content to take Williams in the draft, are now in a prime spot to take Reggie Bush or move the no.2 pick, which has increased tremendously in value. According to ESPN as of 11pm, at least 5 teams, including the Packers and Jets had contacted the Saints about possibly moving up. If this happens, and the Saints trade down a few spots, look for them to take AJ Hawk.
Mike Paulus of Christian Brothers Academy (Syracuse, N.Y.), the No. 2 quarterback in the class of 2007 according to recruiting analyst Tom Lemming, told USA TODAY on Friday afternoon that he has verbally committed to play football at the University of North Carolina.