Welcome to Friday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

FRIDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NHL playoffs: Penguins at Bruins, 8 p.m. (NBCSN)
MLB: Angels at Red Sox, 7:10 p.m. (NESN; WEEI-FM)
MLB: Pirates at Cubs, 2:10 p.m. (WGN)
MLB: Cardinals at Reds, 7:10 p.m. (MLB Network)
College baseball: CWS regional, South Carolina at North Carolina, 1 p.m. (ESPN2)
College baseball: CWS regional, Rice at NC State, 4 p.m. (ESPN2)
College baseball: CWS regional, Oklahoma at LSU, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
College baseball: CWS regional, UCLA at Cal State Fullerton, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Major League Lacrosse: Boston Cannons at Rochester Rattlers, 8 p.m. (CBSSN)
Soccer: World Cup qualifier, Italy vs. Czech Republic, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ NBA commissioner David Stern said Thursday that he wants harsher penalties on flopping, acknowledging that the current fine system is unlikely to have a major impact.

During the regular season, players were warned first, then fined $5,000 for a second offense. In the playoffs, they get no warning. In the regular season there were 19 warnings, and five players were fined. In the playoffs, six players have been fined, most famously LeBron James, who first denied he flops (despite video evidence to the contrary) and then noted that flopping was “not even a bad thing, you’re just trying to get the advantage.”

“It isn’t enough,” Stern said Thursday in Miami before the Spurs edged the Heat in Game 1 of the NBA finals. “You’re not going to cause somebody to stop it for $5,000 when the average player’s salary is $5.5 million. And anyone who thought that was going to happen was allowing hope to prevail over reason.”

Stern said the league’s competition committee will discuss the situation in the offseason.

Added Stern: “We knew that flopping was going to be far from perfect. And we gather more attention because we were giving it more attention. But the point was to do it gently, look at all the flops — and there have been plenty — penalize the most egregious very gently.

“We could end that immediately if we decided to suspend players, but that might be a little bit draconian at the moment.”

♦ Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig continued his amazing debut week Thursday, hitting an eighth-inning grand slam to lead Los Angeles to a 5-0 victory over the visiting Braves.

Puig, a 22-year-old Cuban defector, went 5-for-8 with two home runs and five RBIs in his first two games before going 0-for-4 Wednesday. On Thursday, he was 1-for-3 when he came up in the eighth with the bases loaded and took the first pitch from Cory Gearrin out to right field to make it a 5-0 game.

He also continued to play stellar defense in right field, cutting off balls to prevent extra bases and exhibiting a powerful arm.

“It’s just infectious the way he plays,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “Seems like there’s a joy in his game. It’s the way you’re supposed to play. He just looks so fresh. That’s what gives our guys so much energy.”

Said Puig through a translator: “With the fans here and us winning, the pressure comes off.”

♦ Matt Birk, who retired after helping the Ravens win the Super Bowl in February, skipped the team’s visit to the White House on Wednesday, and he explained his reason why Thursday.

In an interview with Minnesota radio station KFAN, Birk, a Harvard product, said it was the President’s recent glowing comments about Planned Parenthood that spurred him to take a pass.

“I wasn’t there,” Birk told The Power Trip morning show. “I would say this, I would say that I have great respect for the office of the Presidency, but about five or six weeks ago, our president made a comment in a speech and he said, ‘God bless Planned Parenthood.’ … Planned Parenthood performs about 330,000 abortions a year. I am Catholic, I am active in the Pro-Life movement and I just felt like I couldn’t deal with that. I couldn’t endorse that in any way.”

Added Birk: “I’m very confused by [the President's] statement. For God to bless a place where they’re ending 330,000 lives a year? I just chose not to attend.”

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA (answer below): On June 7, 1968, the Red Sox drafted which two players who went on to have solid major league careers mainly as teammates with the Brewers?

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LeBron James

Heat star LeBron James was one of three players fined for flopping during Tuesday night’s Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals, the league announced Thursday morning.

James threw himself to the ground in an attempt to draw a foul on Pacers forward David West, who was establishing position on the post. West was fined for his actions on the same play, as he flung his body around after making contact with James. Here’s the video of the double flop from James and West.

James faced questions for his embellishing during the Heat’s second-round series victory over the Bulls, but he insisted, “I don’t need to flop. I play an aggressive game. I don’t flop. I’ve never been one of those guys.” However, he acknowledged this week that embellishing can be a positive. “Any way you can get an advantage over the opponent to help your team win, so be it,” he told ESPN.

Pacers guard Lance Stephenson also was fined $5,000 for a Game 4 acting job, as he played up an elbow by Ray Allen (video here).

Game 5 of the series, tied at 2-2, is Thursday night in Miami.

Welcome to Wednesday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

WEDNESDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
MLB: Red Sox at Phillies, 7:05 p.m. (NESN; WEEI-FM)
MLB: White Sox at Cubs, 2:10 p.m. (WGN)
MLB: Mets at Yankees, 7 p.m. (MLB Network)
NHL playoffs: Red Wings at Blackhawks, 8 p.m. (NBCSN)
Soccer: Exhibition, United States vs. Belgium, 8 p.m. (ESPN2)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ Heat star LeBron James fouled out in the final minute of Tuesday’s 99-92 loss to the Pacers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals that evened the series. It was just the fifth disqualification of his career (with the previous one coming last postseason against the Celtics). Not surprisingly, James expressed displeasure with some of the call that went against him.

“I believe I was straight up and down on Paul George‘s drive, on the and-one,” he said. “They reversed a call with [Roy] Hibbert, called a foul on me on that one. And at the end of the third they called a push-off on David West.

“It was a couple of calls that I didn’t feel like were fouls, personal fouls on me. That’s how the game goes sometimes.”

On James’ final foul call, with the Heat trailing by four points and 56 seconds remaining, he stuck out his leg trying to set a pick to free up Dwyane Wade and tripped Lance Stephenson as Wade dribbled the ball the other direction.

“I was going to set a screen and I felt like I was stationary — and D-Wade rejected the pick and roll,” James said. “Lance actually ran into me.”

James and his teammates will get no sympathy from Pacers fans, who at one point Tuesday chanted, “Beat the floppers.”

♦ Ten members of Congress — including co-chairs of the Congressional Native American Caucus Tom Cole (Oklahoma) and Betty McCollum (Minnesota) — became the latest public figures to call for the Redskins to change their name. The representatives announced Tuesday that they have sent letters to team owner Dan Snyder, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, the other 31 NFL teams and FedEx (a Redskins sponsor) noting that the name is offensive to many Native Americans.

“In this day and age, it is imperative that you uphold your moral responsibility to disavow the usage of racial slurs,” the letter read.

The name is facing a legal challenge from a group that seeks to have the team lose its trademark protection. Snyder has said he will not change the name.

♦ Nike announced Tuesday that it is ending production of Livestrong apparel and gear after this year, after helping to raise about $100 million over the partnership with disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong‘s charity.

“We expected changes like this,” Livestrong spokeswoman Katherine McLane said, referring to Armstrong’s admission in January that he used banned performance-enhancing drugs after years of denial. “Could there be fallout? Of course. We remain enormously confident. … We are in strong fiscal shape.”

Armstrong, who founded Livestrong in 1997 after being diagnosed with testicular cancer, stepped down from the board in October.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA (answer below): On May 29, 1984, the Red Sox held their first official number retirement ceremony, honoring two men: Ted Williams (No. 9) and who else?

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Welcome to Wednesday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

WEDNESDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
MLB: Red Sox at White Sox, 8:10 p.m. (NESN; WEEI-FM)
MLB: Reds at Mets, 1 p.m. (MLB Network)
MLB: Yankees at Orioles, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
MLB: Cubs at Pirates, 7 p.m. (WGN)
NBA playoffs: Pacers at Heat, 8:30 p.m. (TNT)
NHL playoffs: Penguins at Senators, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)

AROUND THE WEB:

Sergio Garcia's joke Tuesday night about Tiger Woods did not go over well. (AP)

♦ The Tiger Woods-Sergio Garcia feud hit a new low Tuesday when Garcia joked that he would invite Woods over for dinner during the U.S. Open and “serve fried chicken.”

Garcia made the comment during the European Tour’s awards dinner, when the subject of his relationship with Woods was introduced. Garcia later released an apology through the European Tour.

“I apologise for any offense that may have been caused by my comment on stage during The European Tour Players’ Awards dinner,” the statement read. “I answered a question that was clearly made towards me as a joke with a silly remark, but in no way was the comment meant in a racist manner.”

UPDATE: Woods responded Wednesday morning via Twitter, writing: The comment that was made wasn’t silly. It was wrong, hurtful and clearly inappropriate. … I’m confident that there is real regret that the remark was made.

Added Woods: The Players ended nearly two weeks ago and it’s long past time to move on and talk about golf.

During The Players Championship at Sawgrass two weeks ago, Garcia accused Woods of disturbing him while Garcia was hitting a shot. Woods went on to win the tournament as Garcia faded, and the two later exchanged insults about the incident.

♦ The Cavaliers won the NBA draft lottery Tuesday night for the second time in three years, and there’s already speculation that they might trade the pick. Cleveland has two first-round picks, two second-round picks and plenty of cap space. Combine that with the fact that this draft is not considered especially strong, and the Cavs are likely to listen to offers while they continue their rebuilding process since losing LeBron James to the Heat three years ago.

“It’s so long already. I know it is only three years, but in NBA years it’s like dog years. It seems like it is 15 or 20 years,” Cavs owner Dan Gilbert said. “We’ve been just so focused on building the team the last few years, I can’t look back. There is nothing you can do. I am just happy about today.”

Everett product Nerlens Noel, still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered during his freshman season at Kentucky, is expected to be the No. 1 pick.

♦ The Yankees and English soccer power Manchester City will join forces to own a Major League Soccer expansion team that will enter the league in 2015. The team, which will be called the New York City Football Club, will be controlled by Manchester City, with the Yankees reportedly holding a stake between 20 and 25 percent.

“They’ll be running all the soccer. We know our way around New York, how to get things done,” Yankees president Randy Levine said.

The main issue for now appears to be where the team will play. The city has been pushing Flushing as a site for a stadium, although that might require some cooperation from the Mets, who could be ask to share the parking lots for Citi Field.

The team will need a temporary home until its stadium is constructed. New Yankee Stadium hosted two soccer matches last summer and is the site for an exhibition Saturday between Manchester City and Chelsea.

“Yankee Stadium is an option, as are many places,” Levine said.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA (answer below): On May 22, 1988, the Celtics and Hawks staged one of the most memorable playoff games in history, with Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins trading baskets in the fourth quarter of a 118-116 Boston victory in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Lost in the performance of Wilkins (47 points) and Bird (34), a guard for each team finished with a double-double. Which Hawk had 16 points and 18 assists, and which Celtic had 13 points and 10 assists?

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Welcome to Monday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

MONDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
MLB: Red Sox at White Sox, 8:10 p.m. (NESN; WEEI-FM)
MLB: Yankees at Orioles, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
NHL playoffs: Blackhawks at Red Wings, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)

AROUND THE WEB:

LeBron James is ready for another physical series against the Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals. (AP)

♦ The Heat and Pacers open the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, and there’s plenty to talk about before then. Pacers coach Frank Vogel got the ball rolling when on Saturday he referred to the defending NBA champion Heat as “just the next team that’s in our way.”

LeBron James didn’t care for that designation — at least the interpretation of Vogel’s comment that was presented to him by the media.

“We’re a great team,” James said Sunday. “We’re very confident. We’ll be ready for them. If we’re just another team, you don’t prepare, you really don’t prepare for just another team. We’re not just another team. You have to prepare for us.”

Added Chris Bosh: “It’s always good to get some motivation from the other side.”

James also predicted a continuation from last year’s Heat-Pacers series, which featured aggressive, physical play.

“They’ll try to put me on the floor, maybe,” James said. “They’ll be physical with me, maybe. … The word is you’ve got to beat up the Heat to beat them. And every team has tried to do that.”

♦ Geno Smith might have thought he would fit right in with the brash Jets when he predicted a playoff berth for the team in his first interview after being drafted last month. However, he said Sunday that he learned a lesson after the New York Post put him on the front page with a headline reading “Broadway Geno” — a reference to the legendary Joe Namath.

“I’ve already gotten in trouble for saying some things about playoffs and things, which I don’t regret,” Smith said in an interview on SiriusXM Radio. “I don’t think I’ll go as far as being bold as Joe was.”

Smith also has come under fire for his alleged immature behavior, including his reported arrogance during pre-draft interviews with teams and his firing of his agents after his draft slide.

“I don’t think I’m a bad guy,” Smith said. “I don’t think I’m some of the things they try to make me out to be. It’s a part of the media. The one thing that I understand is you can’t take it personally. Those guys have jobs and the key to their jobs is to sell papers and to keep the fans looking. So they’re going to spin things and try to make an interesting story out of something that may not be so interesting.”

♦ Sweden completed its run to the title at the world hockey championships Sunday, beating Switzerland, 5-1, in Stockholm behind two goals and an assist from Canucks star Henrik Sedin. With the win, Sweden became the first home team to win the championship in the tournament’s 27-year history.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling. You can’t put it into words,” said Henrik Tallinder, who plays for the Devils. “As soon as we got our legs and got that first goal, I thought we controlled the game pretty well.”

The United States beat Finland, 3-2 in a shootout, for third place and its first medal in nine years.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA (answer below): Which Red Sox player had a streak of homering on May 20 for five straight years, starting with a three-home run game in a 10-3 victory over the Royals in 2001?

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Welcome to Monday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

MONDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NHL playoffs: Maple Leafs at Bruins, 7 p.m. (NESN, CNBC)
NHL playoffs: Rangers at Capitals, 8 p.m. (NBCSN)
NBA playoffs: Heat at Bulls, 7 p.m. (TNT)
NBA playoffs: Thunder at Grizzlies, 9:30 p.m. (TNT)
MLB: Mets at Cardinals, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

AROUND THE WEB:

LeBron James looks back before falling after being pushed by Bulls forward Nazr Mohammed during Friday night's game in Chicago. (AP)

♦ Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau was fined $35,000 by the NBA on Sunday, following his comments about the officiating after Friday night’s Game 3 loss to the Heat.

In the first half of the game, Bulls forward Nazr Mohammed was ejected after shoving LeBron James. The Bulls accused James of embellishing when he fell to the floor. Said Thibodeau: “I just saw a guy basically flop.” Thibodeau also said Chicago wasn’t “going to get calls” from the officials.

James insisted he wasn’t going to be rattled by the Bulls’ accusations.

“When you’re comfortable with who you are as a player and as a person, nothing really bothers you,” he said. “I don’t need to flop. I play an aggressive game. I don’t flop. I’ve never been one of those guys.”

Game 4 is Monday night in Chicago, where the shorthanded Bulls will attempt to even the series. Luol Deng, who is recovering after suffering complications from a spinal tap. is not expected to play, as he said he did not respond well to attempts to practice over the weekend after leaving the hospital. Kirk Hinrich and Derrick Rose are expected to remain on the sideline as well.

♦ Joba Chamberlain feuded with a Yankees teammate over the weekend — and no, it wasn’t Kevin Youkilis. Surprisingly, it was respected reliever Mariano Rivera.

Rivera was giving an interview in the dugout before Saturday night’s game in Kansas City — where, one year ago, he blew out his knee shagging fly balls and was lost for the season. Chamberlain, meanwhile, was standing next to the dugout and yelling to his family in the stands. After losing his train of thought, Rivera said to Chamberlain: “Joba! Yo! Bro! Shhh.”

Chamberlain responded that he was talking to his family, something he doesn’t do as often as Rivera speaks to the media. Later, Chamberlain warned Rivera in front of the press: “Don’t ever shush me again. … Seriously. Don’t ever shush me again. I don’t get to see my family very often.”

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said later that teammates shouldn’t disrespect each other. “When you look at situations that happen, if people could do things differently, sometimes they would do it differently,” he said.

However, Chamberlain, while admitting it was his fault, insisted it wasn’t a big deal and said: “I wouldn’t change it, I wouldn’t change anything I do in life.” He said there was no need to apologize, although he apparently did in private.

Rivera, on the other hand, apologized to reporters Sunday, saying: “These are not things that we need to bring in front of you guys or anybody. But it happened. … This is in-house and we keep it like that.”

♦ Former Lions wide receiver Titus Young, arrested twice in one day last Sunday, made it three times in a week when he was nabbed late Friday in San Clemente, Calif., for allegedly breaking into a home. Young also fought with deputies after a foot chase.

Young was charged with attempted burglary, assaulting a police office and resisting arrest.

The 23-year-old was drafted in 2011 but released in February after a decline in production and disputes with teammates.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA (answer below): On May 13, 1991, which two former Celtics — teammates in Boston in the late 1970s — were inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame?

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Welcome to Wednesday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

WEDNESDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NHL playoffs: Bruins at Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. (NESN, CNBC)
NHL playoffs: Capitals at Rangers, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)
NHL playoffs: Kings at Blues, 9 p.m. (NHL Network)
NHL playoffs: Red Wings at Ducks, 10 p.m. (NBCSN)
Hockey World Championships: United States vs. Finland, 1 p.m. (NBCSN)
NBA playoffs: Bulls at Heat, 7 p.m. (TNT)
NBA playoffs: Warriors at Spurs, 9:30 p.m. (TNT)
MLB: Twins at Red Sox, 7 p.m. (NESN Plus, ESPN; WEEI-FM)
MLB: Braves at Reds, 12:30 p.m. (MLB Network)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks to a rout of the Pacers in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series, and then he took a moment to thank Boston Globe writer Gary Washburn for giving him a first-place vote in the NBA MVP balloting.

“As far as the guy in Boston, I don’t know any he catches so much flak for that,” Anthony said, referring to the controversy after LeBron James fell one vote shy of a unanimous MVP. “He has the right to vote for whoever he wants. LeBron won the MVP. Why is everybody so mad that he didn’t win it unanimously? … Thank you.”

Anthony also addressed a tweet from the account of MSG Network Knicks analyst Bernard King that criticized Anthony following New York’s Game 1 loss. King has claimed an associate was responsible for the tweet, which has since been removed.

The tweet read: If Carmelo’s shoulder is hurting that bad — work the paint — drive and dish — become a facilitator — it’s a TEAM game.

Responded Anthony: “I found out about the alleged Bernard King tweet this morning. I didn’t think too much about it. I know Bernard very well and I heard he was trying to reach out to me to let me know it wasn’t something that he said. He just wanted to apologize. I didn’t really pay too much any mind to that at all.”

Knicks coach Mike Woodson defended Anthony earlier Tuesday.

“Melo’s had a hell of a season,” Woodson said. “He’s struggling a little bit. But we’re right in the thick of things. We’re still in the hunt. That’s all you can ask for.”

♦ During Tuesday night’s Blue Jays-Rays game in St. Petersburg, Fla., Toronto starting pitcher J.A. Happ took a line drive from Desmond Jennings off the side of his head. He was alert as he was wheeled off on a stretcher and taken to an area hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.

Jennings got a triple as the ball deflected down the right-field line. Happ fell to the ground next to the mound and covered his head with his glove.

“It’s devastating. … I could barely watch it,” Jays pitcher R.A. Dickey said. “You just don’t know what to think, really. It paralyzes you a little bit. And when it sounds like two bats, when you hear the sound off the bat and it sounds like it hits another bat, it’s scary. It’s really, really scary. I just started praying in the spot. That’s all I knew to do.”

Said Tampa Bay’s Ryan Roberts, who was in the on-deck circle at the time: “I just saw it come off the bat hot, and when it hit him I knew it hit him hard. I instantly started praying for him. That’s a situation you never want to see. It’s unfortunate. I hope he recovers and hope he’s back pitching as soon as possible. That’s something in a game you hate to see.”

♦ Former Lions wide receiver Titus Young was arrested twice in about 14 hours, according to police in Southern California. The 23-year-old was first arrested early Sunday on suspicion of DUI. Later that day, Young allegedly jumped over the fence of a tow company in an attempt to get his impounded car out of the yard. He was booked on suspicion of burglary.

Young, drafted out of Boise State in 2011, was released by Detroit in February.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA (answer below): On May 8, 2004, in a 9-1 victory over the visiting Royals, which Red Sox infielder hit two home runs, one of which was an inside-the-park homer?

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Welcome to Monday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

MONDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NHL playoffs: Bruins at Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. (NESN, NHL Network)
NHL playoffs: Capitals at Rangers, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)
NHL playoffs: Ducks at Red Wings, 8 p.m. (CNBC)
NHL playoffs: Blues at Kings, 10 p.m. (NBCSN)
NBA playoffs: Bulls at Heat, 7 p.m. (TNT)
NBA playoffs: Warriors at Spurs, 9:30 p.m. (TNT)
MLB: Twins at Red Sox, 7:10 p.m. (NESN Plus; WEEI-FM)
MLB: Braves at Reds, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

AROUND THE WEB:

LeBron James receives his fourth MVP award Sunday during a ceremony in Miami. (AP)

♦ LeBron James received 120 out of a possible 121 first-place votes to win his fourth NBA MVP award, setting off a search to find out who could have considered the Heat star unworthy.

During Sunday’s award ceremony at Miami’s AmericanAirlines Arena, James — the only player this year to lead his team in scoring (26.8), rebounding (8.0) and assists (7.3) — offered his opinion.

“It’s probably a writer out of New York that didn’t give me the vote,” he said. “I know the history between the Heat and the Knicks, So, I get it.”

As it turns out, the renegade writer was Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Washburn voted for Carmelo Anthony first, and in a column Monday he attempted to justify his decision, claiming that Anthony was more valuable to the Knicks than James was to the Heat. Washburn wrote that he was “flabbergasted” to learn that he stood alone in his thinking.

For his part, Anthony agreed with the 120 writers who determined James deserved his fourth MVP in five years (Celtics legend Bill Russell is the only other player to accomplish that feat).

“LeBron gets it, I take my hat off to him, he deserves it,” Anthony said. “They had a hell of a year, to win 27 straight games, a hell of an achievement.”

However, added Anthony: “I’ll take that vote.”

Anthony didn’t even finish second, as he was well behind runner-up Kevin Durant. Nine writers or broadcasters did not include Anthony on their ballots.

♦ A Utah soccer referee who was punched in the head by a 17-year-old player a week ago died Saturday night, according to police. Ricardo Portillo, 46, suffered swelling in his brain after the assault and had been in critical condition for a week.

Portillo had given a yellow card to the teenager, a goalie in a recreational league, when the player started arguing and then threw a punch to Portillo’s head. The referee, who complained of dizziness and vomited blood, was taken to a hospital, where he slipped into a coma.

The teenager was booked into juvenile detention on suspicion of aggravated assault. There could be additional charges following Portillo’s death.

♦ The Shaquille O’Neal-Jose Canseco feud — the two supposedly were going to have a boxing match at one point last year — was reignited over the weekend, after Canseco sent out a simple tweet to to Shaq that read: hey pussy.

Responded O’Neal: ill beat your ass rat boy the whole world saw u run from hung man Choy. Set it up ill break your jaw #snitchesgetstitches

Added Shaq: u gonna need more than steroids to help u when I smack the rat fur off yo ass #snitchesgetstitches pt 2

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA (answer below): On May 6, 2000, Pedro Martinez struck out 17 batters, but the Red Sox were blanked and dropped a 1-0 decision to which team?

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Welcome to Wednesday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

WEDNESDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NBA: Nets at Celtics, 8 p.m. (CSNNE, ESPN; WEEI-AM)
NBA: Spurs at Nuggets, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)
NHL: Bruins at Devils, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)
MLB: Orioles at Red Sox, 7:10 p.m. (NESN; WEEI-FM)
MLB: Yankees at Indians, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ The Knicks won their 13th straight game Tuesday night, in the process clinching their first Atlantic Division title since 1994.

Carmelo Anthony, who averaged 41.8 points per game last week and took over the NBA scoring lead from Kevin Durant with his late-season surge, scored 36 points in the 120-99 victory over the Wizards at Madison Square Garden.

The players returned to the locker room to find shirts that read: Can’t Stop NY Knicks. 2013 Division Champions.

“There’s no reason not to have a smile on your face at this moment,” Anthony said. “We accomplished one of our goals that we set before the season in training camp, so it’s a stepping stone for us.”

♦ In a related note, Anthony’s jersey is the No. 1 seller in the NBA, as the Knicks forwarded unseated LeBron James in the top spot.

James is at No. 2, Durant has the No. 3 most-popular jersey, Kobe Bryant is at No. 4 and the injured Derrick Rose is at No. 5.

The list is based on sales at the NBA Store in New York as well as NBAStore.com since last November. Anthony ranked fourth on last year’s list.

In other jersey news, Robert Griffin III broke the NFL record for most jerseys sold in one year. The NFL did not release the number but indicated RG III beat out Peyton Manning for the top spot. Ray Lewis was third, Colin Kaepernick fourth and Tom Brady fifth.

♦ Rapper and businessman Jay-Z, who recently agreed to represent Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano, will sell his minority share in the Nets so that he can represent NBA players, according to a Yahoo! Sports report.

Jay-Z’s Roc Nation company has partnered with the powerhouse Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and is expected to make an immediate splash due to his profile in the entertainment world.

Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, owns a 1/15 share in the Nets, worth about $350,000, according to ESPN’s Darren Rovell.

“It would be disappointing [if he left],” Nets coach P.J. Carlesimo said. “I’d be disappointed. He had an enormous amount to do with the rebranding of the team.”

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA (answer below): On April 10, 1998, the Red Sox rallied from a 7-2 ninth-inning deficit against the Mariners, winning 9-7 on a walk-off grand slam by which Sox player?

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Welcome to Thursday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

THURSDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
College basketball: NCAA tournament, Marquette vs. Miami, 7:15 p.m. (CBS)
College basketball: NCAA tournament, Arizona vs. Ohio State, 7:47 p.m. (TBS)
College basketball: NCAA tournament, Syracuse vs. Indiana, 9:45 p.m. (CBS)
College basketball: NCAA tournament, La Salle vs. Wichita State, 10:17 p.m. (TBS)
NHL: Kings at Blues, 8 p.m. (NHL Network)
MLB preseason: Twins at Red Sox, 7 p.m. (NESN; WEEI-FM)
MLB preseason: Mets at Nationals, 1 p.m. (ESPN)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ The Heat’s 27-game winning streak, second-longest in NBA history, ended in Chicago on Wednesday night, and LeBron James is not happy with the physical treatment he received from the Bulls.

In the first quarter, Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich, defending one-on-one against James on a fast break, appeared to try to draw a charge, but he put both arms around James as they fell to the floor. (Hinrich actually looked to get the worst of the play, as the back of his head bounced off the court.)

In the fourth quarter, Taj Gibson stopped a layup by bringing his arm across James’ neck and shoulder. (Gibson then offered to help James off the floor.)

“Let me calculate my thoughts real fast before I say [what I want to say],” James said postgame. “I believe and I know that a lot of my fouls are not basketball plays. First of all, Kirk Hinrich in the first quarter basically grabbed me with two hands and brought me to the ground. The last one, Taj Gibson was able to collar me around my shoulder and bring me to the ground. Those are not defensive … those are not basketball plays.”

James, who finished with 32 points, seven rebounds and four blocks in his team’s 101-97 loss, took out his frustration with 3:52 left when he drove his shoulder into the chest of a screen-setting Carlos Boozer and followed through with his elbow, earning a flagrant foul.

James admitted afterward that the hard fouls have started to bother him.

“It’s been happening all year, and I’ve been able to keep my cool and try to tell [Erik Spoelstra], ‘Let’s not worry about it too much.’ But it is getting to me a little bit because every time I try to defend myself, I got to face the consequences of a flagrant for me or a technical foul, whatever the case may be,” James said. “It’s tough. It’s tough. It’s very tough, and I’m not sitting here crying about anything because I play the game at a high level. I play with a lot of aggression, and I understand that some of the plays are on the borderline of a basketball play or not, but sometimes you just got to … I don’t know. It’s frustrating.”

♦ Former Red Sox star Manny Ramirez made his debut in Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League on Wednesday, going 2-for 6 in the EDA Rhinos’ 9-8 loss to the visiting Brother Elephants in 12 innings.

Ramirez, batting fourth, flew out to left off American Mike Ballard in the first inning. In the second inning, facing rookie right-hander Wu Ming-hsu, he singled to left field (video below) as part of his team’s five-run rally. Ramirez singled to right off Wu in the fourth.

Ramirez had a chance to be the hero twice, but in the eighth he stranded two runners with the game tied at 8, and in the 11th he couldn’t get the ball out of the infield.

The game reportedly was played in front of a capacity crowd of 20,000 fans.

♦ Real Clear Sports has a list of the top 10 buzzer-beaters in NCAA tournament history. No. 1 is NC State’s Lorenzo Charles beating Houston in the 1983 championship game. No. 2 is Christian Laettner‘s jumper that gave Duke a win over Kentucky in the 1992 Elite Eight.

UConn makes two appearances on the list. No. 6 is Tate George‘s jumper that beat Clemson in 1990, and No. 8 is Richard Hamilton‘s fadeaway that beat Washington in 1998.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA (answer below): On March 28, 1986, the Red Sox made a trade with the Yankees to acquire designated hitter Don Baylor, who helped the Red Sox win the 1986 American League pennant. Which player did the Sox trade to New York?

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