Once again, another unheralded player came through for his team in the NBA Finals. Back in Game 2, Leon Powe was a powe-erful presence for the Celtics, scoring 21 points in the Celtics’ win. In Tuesday night’s Game 3, the Lakers staved off a 3-0 deficit thanks to the vaunted play of Sasha Vujacic.

The Slovenian star & bane of b-ball gamblers everywhere scored 20 points, including a crucial 3-pointer with less than two minutes left, to secure the 87-81 victory - and keeping L.A.’s home playoff record perfect.

On the other side of the court, Paul Pierce’s performance could be perceived as pathetic - 2-for-14 from the field while totaling only 6 points. He should’ve just worn this jersey (courtesy of MIX MAKERS):

But it might have been another piece of apparel that jinxed Paul’s evening.

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• Having conquered Major League Baseball, THE HATER NATION has styling news that Alyssa Milano is now offering her wares to Raiders fans.

• Speaking of sports fashion, CONDE NAST PORTFOLIO uncovers the secret to Jason Giambi’s slump-busting success - the golden thong.

• Want to be the Jets’ starting QB? 100% INJURY RATE will flip you for it.

• WICKED GOOD SPORTS explains why the devil Red Sox fans would root for the Yankees over the Rays.

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• Tom Hoffarth of FARTHER OFF THE WALL saves a bundle, as L.A. Dodgers merchandise made by Alyssa Milano is going on sale.

• Would you like to see the Kingdome collapse or Fulton County Stadium fall down all over again? BALLPARKS OF BASEBALL can help you out with their various video collections.

• USA TODAY’S GAME ON crunches the numbers, as a new poll reveals how far some baseball fans are willing to stretch the truth about attending Opening Day.

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• WITH LEATHER has some Shockey-ing photos of the Giants’ Jeremy gettin’ jiggy wit’ it:

• JEN’S FREE THROWS sees Alyssa Milano’s love life going down the train, as the MLB blogger wants to trade pitchers for plumbers.

• AWFUL ANNOUNCING intercepts news that Phil Simms will come clean on a soap opera, appearing as himself in “As The World Turns.”

• Jim Borgman of the CINCINNATI ENQUIRER ruffles some feathers with his take on the pigeon poop problem at Paul Brown Stadium:

• THE NAUGHTY AMERICAN stacks up news about the state of professional domino players.

• The ST. PETERSBURG TIMES fishes out the story of a young Chinese swimmer fit to be tied.

• In appreciation for zinging out Zambrano, AZ SPORTS HUB speaks some sweet nothings to Sweet Lou.

• Now that he’s a free man, THE BIG LEAD finds some snaps of Vols b-ball coach Bruce Pearl getting acquainted with some new female friends:

• STEROID NATION discovers Barry Bonds’ ex-mistress is ready to bare all for Playboy…and a grand jury, if need be.

• DEUCE OF DAVENPORT learns that after all these years, Trent Dilfer’s still miffed about getting tossed from the Ravens’ nest.

• SI’s EXTRA MUSTARD squeezes some musings out of everyone’s favorite baseball blogger, Alyssa Milano:

• MONEY PLAYERS swears that Cubs manager Lou Piniella is no Lee Elia.

• TMZ feels the love, as feisty rap mogul Suge Knight says he’s there for Britney Spears.

• Now that Jenn’s been jettisoned by SI, ARMCHAIR GM recommends some suitable Sterger substitutes:

• How times have changed in college football: THE DETROIT NEWS learns that 1-AA Norfolk State would rather be playing Michigan than Rutgers this Saturday.

• The SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER feels a great loss, as the Orioles could void Jay Gibbons’ $21 million contract if he’s involved in the current HGH scandals.

• EVERY DAY SHOULD BE SATURDAY knows how criminal SEC officiating can be:

• PRAY FOR MOJO keeps it in the pocket, as the NFL has suspended Matt Leinart and Tom Brady for producing ineligible offspring.

• THE SPORTS HERNIA digs deep to uncover what’s been buried in the Raiders’ Black Hole.

• THE SUN puts the finger on this crooked-crawed cricketer:

• FIRST TO THIRD doesn’t feel like garbage anymore, now that Ozzie Guillen will be with the White Sox ’til 2012.

• SPEED TV is taxed by news that IndyCar racing will try revenue sharing in 2008.

• How tough are Aussie footballers? They can keep playing under any circumstances - even without pants!

• THE MECK DECK feels ESPN experts wouldn’t know a good Carolina running game if it ran right over their asses.

• Oly Sandor of HOOPSVIBE only wants Don Nelson and Golden State ownership just to get along.