1.   Howe was one of the few people in the Bay Area who saw the Tigers win their third in the four-game series.

2.   In beating Denver, the Sonics won their third straight, and fourth in a row on the road.

3.   In both cases, they rallied to win the third because of outside factors.

4.   In the first semifinal, Argentina wasted seven set points in the second set but preserved their dignity by winning the third before running out of steam.

5.   Todd Worrell then came on and to close out the game, earning his sixth save, as the Dodgers won their third in a row.

6.   Tyson, who landed several good punches, was winning the third but lost the round because of the two-point deduction.

7.   Webb, like Woods, won the third of the last four majors she has played.

8.   Woods has a chance to win his third of the year, while Els could finish second for a fourth time.

9.   Pedro Martinez won his third on Monday.

10.   And almost everyone, including Argentine Diego Maradona, likes the chances of his home country winning its third this time.