GENEVA (AFP) - Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari says his side will be confident - but not too confident - when they face the Czech Republic on Wednesday with a Euro 2008 quarter-final place at stake.

Euro 2004 finalists Portugal were impressive on Saturday night when they sealed a 2-0 win over Turkey at the Stade de Geneva to top Group A, while the Czechs also opened with a 1-0 win over Switzerland in Basel.

Portugal’s Pepe and Raul Meireles scored second-half goals in Geneva to see off Turkey and Scolari’s side look destined for the knock-out phase.

But Czech substitute Vaclav Sverkos gave his side a winning start with a second-half strike that broke Switzerland after some dogged resistance.

A win for either side here would put them in the last eight, with Scolari saying he expects a touch examination from the Czech team and will be doing his homework.

"We’ll be confident (against the Czech Republic) but not too confident," said Scolari, otherwise known as ‘Big Phil’ and apparently in the running for the vacancy at Chelsea.

"We’ll watch videos of the Czechs - they play in a different way to Turkey, let’s see if we can keep it up and keep playing this beautiful football as that way we’ll go through to the second round.

"We are halfway on the road to qualifying. If we get six points we should qualify, so 50 percent after one match is excellent. It gives us some breathing space."

His experienced midfielder Deco was also denying that one impressive victory had set them on their destiny of winning the title.

"We do not risk falling into the trap of being too complacent," said Deco, who has like several of his fellow Barcelona squad members put in transfer requests following a disappointing season.

"We are not underestimating the Czech Republic, quite the contrary, we have a lot of respect for them. It will be a bit more difficult than against Turkey.

"The fact the Czechs had problems against the Swiss means nothing."

Deco said that there had been no over-the-top celebrating by the Portuguese following their opening victory.

"We avoided celebrating euphorically because nothing has been achieved yet," added Deco, who was part of the Portuguese squads that reached the Euro 2004 final and the 2006 World Cup semi-finals.

The Czechs veteran coach Karel Bruckner insisted standards must be raised ahead of Portugal as his side looked a bit bereft of creative ideas and sorely missed the injured playmaker and captain Tomas Rosicky.

He said: "We have to analyse our last game, because we weren’t faultless and there are things to work on.

"Our next game will also be very difficult."

Bruckner brought Sverkos off the bench as their lone forward against the Swiss in place of towering Nuremberg stiker Jan Koller and the move paid off with Sverkos hitting the winner.

"I don’t believe I can replace a player like Jan Koller, maybe no one can," Sverkos said of Koller who will retire from the national side after the finals.

"If we stick to the current system, it’s very important for the team that Jan plays.

"He works very hard for us, especially closing down defenders. He’s a unique player in terms of bringing the ball down and playing it on the ground. I believe there is no player like him, not in our team, not in any team. He’s unique."

LOS ANGELES - Paul Pierce is looking forward to Game 4 of the NBA finals, when he’ll get a second chance to show his hometown what Boston’s Big Three can do.

"We were in the game despite me and Kevin (Garnett) really not playing well," Pierce said after scoring just six points on 2-for-14 shooting in Game 3 on Tuesday night. "We had our opportunities. … I think we have a great chance of beating them in Game 4."

Ray Allen broke out with 25 points — his second-best game of the playoffs so far — but Pierce and Garnett struggled to keep up as the Los Angeles Lakers beat Boston 87-81 to cut the Celtics’ lead to 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

"Shooting wise, I had a pretty awful game," said Garnett, who scored 13 points on 6-for-21 shooting. "Hey, it’s not a perfect game. I know at times we make it look easy, but that’s the great thing about this league. We have some more games to play, and I’m sure I’ll get better."

The Celtics won the first two games in Boston, but the Lakers held serve when the series moved West. Boston, which had an NBA-best 31-10 away record in the regular season, fell to 2-8 on the road in the playoffs.

But the Celtics are taking heart in the fact that they played as badly as they have all postseason and still came within two points on a Garnett bank shot in the final minutes.

"When Paul has a night like tonight, and Kevin has a game like he had, I look at it like we had a chance to steal a game here when our guys were off," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "They’ll be fine. We’ll make some adjustments, and they’ll be fine."

Pierce fell into foul trouble early and never got going, missing his first five shots and managing to stay on the court just 32 minutes.

Garnett wasn’t much better.

He missed his first seven shots, admitting afterward that he rushed shots and might have been over-hyped for the game. He also had 12 rebounds and five assists while making a few key shots to give the Celtics a short-lived lead in the third quarter.

"As far as the three of us, we have to be content to be aggressive. We have to make plays," Garnett said. "Paul and I didn’t have the best night offensively. But defensively I thought we were very sound. We were in the game. This game was never out of reach for us."

Kobe Bryant scored 36 for the Lakers, who got 20 from Sasha Vujacic but only 13 on 4-for-18 shooting from Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol.

"They didn’t get great games out of their two players, but neither did we," Bryant said. "So you’ve just got to chalk it up."

Garnett scored on a baby hook in the lane to tie the game 49-all with 5:50 left. Next time down, he hit a baseline jumper on an assist from Pierce to give the Celtics the lead.

But it didn’t last.

While Garnett played the whole third quarter because Pierce was in foul trouble, he had to come out at the beginning of the fourth for a breather.

"With Paul in foul trouble, we basically had no choice," Rivers said. "When he came back in, we went down there. We just didn’t get anything out of him."

The Lakers came back and pulled away down the stretch, with Pierce and Garnett passing up shots to get the ball to reserve Eddie House.

"It just looked like Kevin kind of ran out of gas. It looked like he was gassed some time in the fourth quarter," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "Putting Kobe on Pierce was the difference for tonight’s game. It was difficult for him to work to get free.

"He still had, I thought, some instrumental plays down the stretch. But it made a difference for us tonight."

Pierce made just his second basket of the game with 3:53 left, driving and drawing a foul on Bryant; Pierce missed the free throw that could have cut the deficit to four points. The Lakers led 78-72 when Pierce did make a couple of free throws, and Garnett banked in a one-hander to make it 78-76.

But Vujacic hit a 3-pointer, and Bryant made a pair of jumpers down the stretch to ice it.

"We just didn’t play well as a group, and it wasn’t just Kevin," Rivers said. "I told our guys, ‘Listen, you had a chance to win, but don’t be delusional. That team attacked you, they were the aggressor.’"

NEW YORK - NBA commissioner David Stern dismissed allegations from a former referee at the center of a gambling scandal that the 2002 playoff series was rigged by league referees and officials, calling the claims baseless.

"He turned on basically all of his colleagues in an attempt to demonstrate that he is not the only one who engaged in criminal activity," Stern said of Tim Donaghy before Game 3 of the NBA finals in Los Angeles on Tuesday. "The U.S. attorney’s office, the FBI have fully investigated it, and Mr. Donaghy is the only one who is guilty of a crime."

The allegations about the 2002 series were contained in a letter filed by a lawyer for Donaghy, who pleaded guilty last year to felony charges alleging he took cash payoffs from gamblers and bet on games himself. Donaghy, 41, faces up to 33 months in prison at sentencing on July 14.

Without identifying anyone or naming teams, Donaghy also claimed the NBA routinely encouraged refs to ring up bogus fouls to manipulate results but discouraged them from calling technical fouls on star players to keep them in games and protect ticket sales and television ratings.

"If the NBA wanted a team to succeed, league officials would inform referees that opposing players were getting away with violations," the letter said. "Referees then would call fouls on certain players, frequently resulting in victory for the opposing team."

Donaghy’s lawyer has sought to convince a federal judge in Brooklyn that Donaghy, of Bradenton, Fla., deserves more credit for coming forward before he was charged to disclose behind-the-scenes misconduct within the NBA. The letter, filed Monday, suggests prosecutors have hurt Donaghy’s chances for a lesser prison term by downplaying the extent of his cooperation.

Both Donaghy’s attorney, John Lauro, and prosecutors declined comment.

The league said the scandal was limited to Donaghy and two co-defendants, both former high school classmates who also pleaded guilty to gambling charges.

"The NBA remains vigilant in protecting the integrity of our game and has fully cooperated with the government at every stage of its investigation," Richard Buchanan, NBA executive vice president and general counsel, said in a statement. "The only criminal activity uncovered is Mr. Donaghy’s."

Larnell McMorris, a spokesman for the NBA referees union, said in a statement that Donaghy "has had honesty and credibility issues from the get-go."

Donaghy’s letter said that in the first of several meetings with prosecutors and the FBI in New York in 2007, he named names while describing "various examples of improper interactions and relationships between referees and other league employees, such as players, coaches and management." For example, it said, referees broke NBA rules by hitting up players for autographs, socializing with coaches and accepting meals and merchandise from teams.

In one of several allegations of corrupt refereeing, Donaghy said he learned in May 2002 that two referees known as "company men" were working a best-of-seven series in which "Team 5" was leading 3-2. In the sixth game, he alleged they purposely ignored fouls made by opponent "Team 6" and made phantom calls putting its players at the free-throw line.

"Team 6" won the game and came back to win the series, the letter said.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Beaming that gap-toothed smile that became his trademark in 15 NFL seasons, Michael Strahan said he understood it was time to go.

The New York Giants defensive end wanted to leave on his own terms, and finishing with a Super Bowl title certainly didn’t hurt.

"At some point you have to realize that you’ve done all you can do, all you need to do," he said Tuesday at Giants Stadium at his farewell news conference. "It’s over."

Strahan went to seven Pro Bowls and recorded the fifth most sacks in NFL history. On Monday, the 36-year-old star told the Giants he was retiring four months after helping them win the Super Bowl.

Coach Tom Coughlin called Strahan the "consummate Giant."

"He did a lot for the young players," Coughlin said. "He knew how to perform, he knew how to practice, he knew how to play. It has been an honor to coach Michael Strahan."

Strahan said Tuesday he had more or less decided 2007 would be his last season, and that was before the improbable run to the Super Bowl. Then came the culmination — a last-minute, 17-14 win over the previously undefeated New England Patriots for the title.

But in the afterglow of the triumph he seriously considered coming back.

"Then reality set in, and I asked myself, ‘Do I really want to be committed to working out and training?’" he said. "I said no. Physically, I’m fine. But it takes so much to play this game. This isn’t a game where you can take a farewell tour."

He said his plans are unclear, but whatever he does will be easier than football.

Strahan is passing up the final year of a contract that would have paid him at least $4 million this season. Tony Agnone, his agent, said the Giants offered Strahan more money in an effort to get him to play another year.

"Money was never the issue for him," Agnone told The Associated Press. "Really, I thought he was going to retire before last season. I’m happy he stayed around."

Strahan told Giants co-owner John Mara on Monday that he was retiring, something he had considered seriously before last season. Mara said that without Strahan, the Giants wouldn’t have won the Super Bowl or even made the playoffs.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb echoed the sentiments of offensive tackles around the league.

"I’m not going to miss him," McNabb said. "There are a couple more guys over there on their line and we’re waiting on their retirement, but he’s a great guy who decided to leave the game."

Eagles tackle Jon Runyan went head-to-head with Strahan over the years, and the two developed a friendship off the field.

"You think about a situation where the guy exits winning a Super Bowl — going out on top — and if you could write a book, that’s the way you’d want to end it," Runyan said.

Strahan did not play like someone in decline in his final season. He started 15 of 16 regular-season games and had 46 tackles and nine sacks.

He called the Super Bowl victory "the icing on the cake" of a career he began as an unknown second-round draft pick out of Texas Southern who idolized Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor.

"I don’t think you need a ring to fulfill your career, but when you don’t have one, you justify to yourself that you don’t need it," Strahan said. "Then, when you get one, you’re like, ‘There’s no way I could have left without it.’"

Strahan is the Giants’ career sacks leader. He set the single-season NFL mark of 22 1/2 sacks in 2001, getting the last one in the season finale when Brett Favre mysteriously fell late in the game, and No. 92 got credit for the sack.

"Michael is not only one of the great Giants of all time, but also one of the great defensive players in NFL history," said former teammate Tiki Barber, who retired a year before Strahan to pursue a broadcasting career. "It was an honor to spend my entire career as his teammate."

Justin Tuck is the leading candidate to move into Strahan’s starting spot.

"The guy has had a great career, 15 years, a first ballot Hall of Famer," he said.

Strahan was the Giants’ leader in the locker room. When the team took the field before games, Strahan was the one in the middle of the pre-game huddle urging everyone on.

"He had a tremendous career. … He picked a great season to go out on," quarterback Eli Manning said.

It was a tough day and night for the Atlanta Braves.

After John Smoltz had successful shoulder surgery Tuesday — leaving his future unclear — his longtime teammate Tom Glavine was forced to leave after three innings with an elbow strain that will send him to the disabled list in the Braves 10-5 loss to the Cubs.

"It hurt from the minute I started throwing tonight," Glavine said.

Glavine has been bothered by the injury for a month, but with Smoltz out for the season and the Braves in danger of falling out of the NL East race, the left-hander had been trying to push through the injury.

"That’s part of the reason I’ve been trying to fight through it with everything we have going on," Glavine said. "Smoltzy going down, I was kind of keeping my fingers crossed that eventually this thing would start getting better, but it hasn’t."

Glavine said he would probably return to Atlanta on Wednesday and have an MRI, probably on Thursday.

"We’re going to disable him. Give him a breather," manager Bobby Cox said after the loss. "See if his elbow can get better. … It was hurting him like the dickens."

Glavine, who won his 300th game last August at Wrigley Field while pitching for the Mets, was staked to a 3-0 lead in the first inning Tuesday night but couldn’t hold it. He gave up four runs, allowing six hits and issuing four walks while throwing 72 pitches during his second-shortest outing this season.

"Previously it was mostly between starts and a little bit as the game would go on, I would get a little bit stiff," Glavine said. "But the last two games, it’s been pretty much every pitch I throw."

In other NL games Tuesday, it was: Florida 5, Philadelphia 4; St. Louis 7, Cincinnati 2; Washington 7, Pittsburgh 6; Houston 6, Milwaukee 1; Arizona 9, New York 5; Colorado 10, San Francisco 5; and Los Angeles 7, San Diego 2.

While the Braves are falling out of the NL East race, the Cubs are running through the NL Central.

Chicago improved to 27-8 in their home ballpark this season. Derrek Lee had a solo shot in the third to tie the game and Geovany Soto added a three-run drive in the eighth to put it away.

"It’s something we talked about in the spring, playing better at home," Lee said. "I don’t know if we expected to play this well at home, but it’s been fun."

Ted Lilly (6-5) worked 6 2-3 innings to get his first win since May 19. He allowed four hits and the three runs with three walks and eight strikeouts.

Marlins 5, Phillies 4

Hanley Ramirez led off the game with one of host Florida’s three home runs against Philadelphia starter Brett Myers.

Jorge Cantu hit a two-run homer in the first and Mike Jacobs added a two-run shot in the fifth for the Marlins, who closed within three games of the Phillies’ lead atop the division and handed Philadelphia just its fifth loss in 20 games.

Ricky Nolasco (6-4) allowed three runs — all unearned — in six innings for Florida, and Kevin Gregg got the final four outs for his 12th save in 15 chances.

Jimmy Rollins and Pat Burrell homered for Philadelphia.

Cardinals 7, Reds 2

Ryan Ludwick homered and drove in four runs to lead visiting St. Louis.

Albert Pujols and Rick Ankiel gave the Cardinals their first set of back-to-back home runs this season before Pujols was helped off the field in the top of the seventh inning with a strained left calf he suffered while running out a ground ball.

Ludwick also doubled twice and singled in support of rookie right-hander Mitchell Boggs (1-0), who made his first major league start and second appearance.

Homer Bailey (0-2) gave up five runs and eight hits.

Nationals 7, Pirates 6

Ronnie Belliard hit two homers and Lasting Milledge’s two-run shot with two outs in the ninth lifted Washington at Pittsburgh.

Dimitri Young and Jesus Flores also homered for the Nationals, who had lost four in a row and eight of nine.

Pittsburgh’s Matt Capps (0-1) had been 15-for-15 in save opportunities and appeared headed to his third save in as many days when he got two quick outs to open the ninth. But on successive pitches Elijah Dukes doubled to right and Milledge homered to left.

Joel Hanrahan (2-2) got the final two outs of the eighth for the win, and Jon Rauch pitched a perfect ninth for his 13th save.

Astros 6, Brewers 1

Lance Berkman homered and hit a three-run triple, and Roy Oswalt pitched seven solid innings for his first win in almost a month for host Houston.

Berkman’s 19th homer of the season off Seth McClung (3-3) landed in the left-field Crawford Boxes and scored Miguel Tejada to give the Astros a 2-0 lead in the first.

Oswalt (5-6) broke a three game losing streak with his first win since May 12.

Diamondbacks 9, Mets 5

Chris Snyder hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning off Joe Smith (0-1), and visiting Arizona sent New York to its fifth straight loss.

Orlando Hudson, Stephen Drew and Conor Jackson also connected for the NL West leaders, who won for only the seventh time in 21 games.

David Wright hit a two-run homer for the Mets and Moises Alou pulled a two-run single on the first pitch he saw after coming off the disabled list.

Chad Qualls (1-5) worked a perfect seventh for the win.

Rockies 10, Giants 5

Aaron Cook threw seven efficient innings, Todd Helton hit a three-run homer and Colorado ended San Francisco’s seven-game road winning streak.

Cook (9-3) had his sinker working, getting nine groundball outs while scattering nine hits and giving up three earned runs. Garrett Atkins had a two-run homer and Omar Quintanilla added three hits as the Rockies won for the 600th time at Coors Field.

Pat Misch (0-3) pitched four innings, giving up four runs and seven hits.

Dodgers 7, Padres 2

Russell Martin and Matt Kemp each drove in two runs in visiting Los Angeles’ four-run seventh inning, and the Dodgers took advantage of San Diego’s shoddy outfield play.

The Dodgers deprived the Padres’ Greg Maddux of his 351st victory for the sixth straight start, and it also snapped San Diego’s season-high five-game winning streak.

Scott Proctor (1-0) got the win despite throwing a wild pitch that allowed a run to score and give San Diego a 2-1 lead.

Justin Hampson (0-1), who did not retire either batter he faced, took the loss.

LOS ANGELES - No team in NBA playoff history has overcome an 0-3 deficit. Los Angeles superstar Kobe Bryant made sure the Lakers won’t have to overcome that hurdle. Bryant poured in a game-high 36 points in leading the Lakers past Boston 87-81 in game three of the NBA Finals. That cuts Boston’s lead to 2-to-1 with the home team winning every game so far.

Sasha Vujacic gave the Lakers a big lift off the bench with 20 points. Pau Gasol added 9 points and 12 rebounds.

Ray Allen led Boston with 25. Kevin Garnett added 13 points and 12 boards. Paul Pierce, who had been huge for Boston in its opening two wins, had a rough night. Pierce shot 2-for-12 and scored just six points.

After a day off, the series resumes Thursday night with game four in Los Angeles. The Lakers have not lost at home since March 29th.

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