21.   Ranatunga said the Sri Lankans would be confident going into the finals series, which begins on Thursday in Melbourne.

22.   South Africa will play New Zealand in the finals series starting Wednesday in Melbourne.

23.   Sri Lanka can now win a place in the best-of-three finals series with a victory over Australia in Melbourne on Tuesday.

24.   Surprisingly, the defense-oriented Panthers are giving the speed-oriented Penguins a pretty good chase in that area in their Eastern Conference finals series.

25.   The top two teams then will play a best-of-three finals series.

26.   The win meant Sri Lanka qualified ahead of the West Indies for the best-of-three finals series.

27.   Viswanathan Anand of India defeated American Gata Kamsky Sunday to take the lead in the Professional Chess Association world championship candidates finals series.

28.   Viswanathan Anand of India defeated American Gata Kamsky on Sunday to take the lead in the Professional Chess Association world championship finals series.

29.   While the Bulls were sweating through a seven-game Eastern Conference finals series with Indiana, the Jazz were resting, waiting, waiting and waiting.