'Nasty' Spurs strike first against Thunder

SAN ANTONIO (AP) ? It's a catchphrase likely coming soon to fan T-shirts, Internet memes and the lexicon of the NBA playoffs for the foreseeable future.

"I want some nasty!"

Gregg Popovich didn't just coin it. He snarled it, and the way his San Antonio Spurs obliged has the Western Conference finals off to a thrilling start.

Manu Ginobili scored 26 points and the Spurs won their 19th in a row ? tying the NBA record for longest winning streak kept alive in the playoffs ? by rallying in the fourth quarter on the orders of their furious coach to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 101-98 in Game 1 on Sunday night.

It was a tantalizing near-upset for the young Thunder, who came as close as anybody to beating the Spurs for the first time in 46 days. But a nine-point lead didn't last after the famously mercurial 63-year-old Popovich ? the NBA's Coach of the Year ? huddled his lagging team together in the fourth and told them to "get nasty."

"I said that?" Popovich said afterward.

A nationally television audience heard it.

"The heat of the game, stuff comes up," Popovich said. "So I talked to them about they've got to get a little bit uglier, get a little more nasty, play with more fiber and take it to these guys. Meaning you have to drive it, you have to shoot it."

And when they did, the Thunder couldn't keep up.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 27 points. Russell Westbrook had 17, and insisted he was OK after taking a spill that was nasty in its own right ? face first, bracing his fall with his hands and sitting under the basket for more than a minute while the entire Thunder bench walked across the court to check on their All-Star point guard.

"I shot good shots, made good passes," Durant said. "Unfortunately, we lost."

After being held to just 16 third-quarter points, San Antonio scored 39 in the fourth. Westbrook chalked it up to a defensive breakdown that "got out of hand" but it still left the Thunder in search of the road win they'll need to in this series to reach the NBA finals for the first time since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City in 2009.

Game 2 is Tuesday night.

"How it happened is irrelevant," Thunder guard Derrick Fisher said of letting a lead slip away. "Whether we lose by 20 or lose by one, we lost."

That's something the Spurs haven't been able to say since April 11. They joined the 2001 Lakers as the only other team to carry a winning streak this long in the playoffs ? and that Los Angeles team did so on its way to a championship.

The Spurs matched the fourth-longest streak in NBA history, and with one more will become just the fourth team to surpass 20. Tim Duncan had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Tony Parker shook off a dismal start to finish with 18 points.

And of getting "nasty"?

"Pop's always trying to motivate us," Parker said.

But it was Ginobili who steered the Spurs to strike first in a highly anticipated matchup of the West's top two teams for practically the entire regular season. In his first game against the Thunder this year ? he was sidelined by injury in the three regular-season meetings ? Ginobili put up a playoff high after sputtering through the first two series.

"It just happened," Ginobili said. "I don't know how exactly because I haven't scored like this all season long, but it happened and I am very happy about it."

On the other end, Oklahoma City's own Big Three struggled to find its shot early before awakening in the second half. Durant, Westbrook and James Harden at one point through the second quarter were 5 of 21 ? a typically ominous stat line for a trio that had been responsible for nearly 70 percent of Oklahoma City's points through the playoffs so far.

The Thunder were ousted in the Western Conference finals a year ago and were in position for home-court advantage throughout the playoffs until being overtaken by the Spurs in the final month of the season. But it was a fittingly close opener for two franchises with so many similarities.

That includes Thunder general manager Sam Presti ? the architect of the Thunder's rapid turnaround from a 23-win season to consecutive Western Conference finals in just four years ? getting his big break in the NBA as intern in San Antonio.

And the Thunder didn't even need their own Big Three to keep things close.

They leaned on none more so than Fisher, whose famous game-winner for the Lakers on this same court in the 2004 playoffs has made "0.4 seconds" a phrase that needs no further explanation to the Spurs. Eight years later, and the oldest player in this series at 37, Fisher already met his playoff average at halftime and finished with 13 points.

Gary Neal added 12 points and was the only other Spurs player in double figures.

Harden lost in the first round of his matchup with Ginobili, who's also a lefty and a former Sixth Man of the Year winner. Harden finished with 19 points on 7-of-17 shooting but started by missing nine of his first dozen shots.

Tipping off another conference finals couldn't happen soon enough for Oklahoma City. With nothing to do but prepare for the Spurs all week ? and be asked about the Spurs ? the Thunder grew weary of questions about being perceived underdogs. About not having the same championship pedigree. About how they'll possibly stop a team rolling through one of the 10 longest winning streaks in NBA history.

So repetitive were the questions that Durant, visibly annoyed, suggested earlier this week that someone instead ask how the Thunder are going "to come at" the Spurs. That didn't stop Oklahoma City from facing more of the same at shootaround Sunday morning, when Thunder coach Scott Brooks tried quashing again the idea his team was somehow intimidated.

"They're not going to be in awe. They're going to have respect for them," Brooks said. "We know we can beat them."

They've still got to prove it.

Notes: Spurs C DeJuan Blair has given the Thunder fits in his three NBA seasons, including 22 points on them in a March win. But San Antonio's starting center for practically the entire season didn't play for the third consecutive playoff game. "The game will tell us what's appropriate and what's not," Popovich said before tipoff. ...Just because a Boston-Oklahoma City matchup in still possible in the NBA finals doesn't mean center Kendrick Perkins is hopeful about facing his old team. "I really don't care," Perkins said of the Celtics advancing. ...Gov. Rick Perry took in his first Spurs game this year, sitting courtside next to Spurs owner Peter Holt, a major donor to the former Republican presidential candidate.

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Red Flags: How to Tell if Your Interns are a Good Fit

Most companies have already started, or have even finished, hiring summer interns. Sadly, many times, the intern who shows up on the first day is not the person represented in the r?sum? or throughout the interview. Employers should be able to spot and correct early warning signs, as well as be prepared to teach new interns the tricks of the trade in order to create a successful work environment for the intern and your company.

Two definite signs that an intern is not going to work out are a lack of questions and tardiness. Alone, each shows that the intern is not committed to the job and has no interest in improvement. Together, they?re dangerous to the company. Additionally, today?s college students spend a lot of time with texting, Twitter, and Facebook. Oftentimes, this leads to young professionals not understanding the difference between work time and personal time. It?s a clear warning sign of impending trouble when interns cannot abide by these workplace rules. Other deal breakers include inappropriate language, a distasteful attitude, and inappropriate behavior. Being insensitive and rude only contributes to a hostile work environment. All of these can be corrected if clear boundaries are set in the very beginning on what?s considered appropriate use of time and conduct in a professional workplace. Much of this can be avoided by providing mentoring and coaching for the intern so he can work and learn professional protocol in a non-threatening manner.

Many of the issues interns struggle with are little ones, which can be corrected through coaching. Simple guidance on routine tasks eases the transition between student and intern quite a bit. The good intern is new to the environment and wants to do things correctly in order to add value to the company ? she just isn?t sure how to go about it. It?s important to teach interns the business communication style used in the workplace, particularly considering it will be relatively new to most. Interns should use a professional email address, instead of one like juicy18@gmail.com. Often, they will also need to be guided through the use of appropriate abbreviations in written correspondence. While ?LOL? is great for texts and tweets, using it in a workplace memo could result in the next sexual harassment seminar being conducted by HR. Backgrounds, wallpapers, and religious sayings should also be edited out of email formats and signature blocks; they should be replaced with the intern?s full name in order to maintain a professional and non-offensive environment. Though interns are mostly college students and have been writing and rewriting papers for their entire school career, be sure to emphasize the fact that they must proofread before hitting the ?send? button. (While they?re at it, make sure they realize they need to double-check the recipients listed before sending. Some of the biggest workplace blunders have happened that way ? save an intern some embarrassment.)

Business clothing is another aspect where I?ve seen it all. I have had to explain to college students that business casual does not mean your cargo shorts simply need to be khaki-colored. What college students sometimes fail to understand is that the impression they make will last. Dressing too casually will result in them simply not being taken seriously. Their image and personal brand starts with dress, as it is the first thing someone notices about a person when introduced ? and there will be a lot of introductions being made in a new internship. Be sure to instill the guidelines provided by the University of Missouri?s Trulaske College of Business; it will make a world of difference.

Business Casual

• Men: Should avoid khaki pants and shirts with loud prints. Consider dark-colored slacks with a nice Oxford shirt with muted colors and a conservative matching tie. If the weather is cold, pull on a nice, solid-colored sweater. Another option is wearing dark slacks, a solid or bold-line shirt, and a nice, dark-colored sport coat or blazer. Belt and shoes should match.
• Women: Should consider wearing business skirts with appropriate blouses, such as silks, polyester, or rayon with attractive prints. Nice slacks with a blazer, or pants suits, are also acceptable. Larger pieces of jewelry are acceptable for nice casual. Flats or small heels are appropriate, and of course, always wear pantyhose.

Casual

• Men: It?s acceptable for men to wear nice khaki, navy, or some other basic color slacks. Polo-type shirts, ?camp? shirts, or collared shirts (long- or short-sleeved) would be appropriate. Stay away from denim and sweatshirt material. Shirts should be crisp and colorful, but not ?neon-looking.? No cut-offs or jean shorts.
• Women: Appropriate attire for women might be a skirt and blouse, or tailored slacks, a blouse, and a nice belt with attractive, coordinated flats. No cut-offs or jean shorts.

While it may seem interns are the most likely to mess up, companies need to be aware of times when they?re taking advantage of unpaid interns. The primary concept behind an internship is to educate the intern and give him some experience in a particular field. Benefiting the employer is a secondary extra. According to the Fair Labor Standards Act, interns must receive beneficial training that mirrors what could be received in a vocational school. They are not legally allowed to perform the duties actual employees are supposed to be doing, such as stuffing envelopes.

College prepares the student to enter the workforce, but it doesn?t prepare them for the connections and interwoven workings of an actual company ? this is where an internship comes in. Providing a work environment that teaches the intern the standards and expectations of the business world allows you to guarantee a successful worker will be entering the workforce in the future. Remember: someone?s intern will eventually end up working for you, so guide your interns with the reality that they?ll be someone?s employee someday. It will be free advertising for your company ? and it will certainly help your karma.

Dr. Greg Bier is a Professor of Management at the University of Missouri. He leads the newly formed Entrepreneurship Alliance in the Robert J. Trulaske Sr. College of Business. He is also a partner with Entrepreneur MO (www.mo.com). Follow Greg @gregbier.

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Read These Tips Before Your Wedding Day

A wedding should be magical, but it ends up being stressful in most cases. There is a lot of planning that has to take place. You need to consider the cake, flowers and venue when planning your wedding. The following article will give you some advice for making your wedding planning more organized and less stressful.

The venue that you select for your wedding reception should have enough space for dancing and activities. It can be a horrible experience to feel crammed while everyone around you is trying to dance; move chairs and tables out of the way to give everyone some extra breathing space.

Make sure to prioritize your wants when you are starting to organize your wedding plans. Some may think flowers carry more importance over the cake, where others may feel the venue carries more importance over the guest list. If you make your budget in accordance with your preferences, you can guarantee that your money is spent in a way that best reflects your desires.

Have no fear about entrusting tasks of your wedding plan process to others. Since weddings require a lot of emotional investment, you probably want to dominate all aspects of the planning. It is all too easy to overdo it so take the time to step back and let a professional handle some of the details.

Don't be fearful about letting other people help out with segments of planning your wedding. Because weddings have such a large emotional investment, you will most likely want to have a large role in every part of the planning process. However, you can definitely overdo it, and there will be times where you will have to trust professionals who have more expertise in a specific area.

To make sure you have a happy bride, she needs to know that everything meets her standards. You could cause her a lot of stress if she's doing all of the planning or if there are any surprises that might disappoint her. In order to prevent your fianc from being upset, ensure that you run everything by her.

If children are attending, make sure they are dressed comfortably. Select loose, soft, natural fabrics that allow children to move around without any discomfort. The children's new shoes should be broken in and comfortable. Attention to this detail will give the children a chance to focus on their role in the wedding as opposed to fidgeting with their outfit.

If you are shopping for a wedding dress and happen to be pregnant, always take that into consideration. While it's common sense, focus on getting a dress that can expand when you do.

Send a planning and an itinerary to your guests to help them schedule their activities and find their way. Your guests will appreciate knowing where they are expected and at what time; consider making a separate schedule for members of the wedding party.

Ask your close friend if you are able to don their items for your big day. By doing this, you can get the look that you want and add a special touch to your wedding.

It is important to get high quality wedding photos so that you can truly cherish them throughout your life and hand them down to your descendants. To ensure that your wedding day is documented properly, you should be prepared to spend some money on a professional, experienced photographer.

Any wedding can quickly go awry in the absence of proper planning, when it should be a beautiful and cherished event. Put the advice you're about to read into practice to reduce your stress, and help you more easily plan your wedding.

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Romney releases first general election TV ad

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Mitt Romney's first general-election TV commercial promises he would introduce tax cuts and approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline on Day One of his presidency.

The Republican candidate's campaign released the ad Friday, coupling it with a fundraising pitch. The 30-second pitch is upbeat, in contrast to a spot President Barack Obama's campaign is running that criticizes Romney as a businessman. Romney has called the Obama ad "character assassination."

In Romney's commercial, his first since becoming the presumptive nominee, an announcer asks, "What would a Romney presidency be like?"

"Day One: President Romney immediately approves the Keystone pipeline, creating thousands of jobs that Obama blocked," the announcer declares, referring to a pipeline that Obama has delayed, which Republicans insist shows that Obama is hostile to the energy industry.

"President Romney introduces tax cuts and reforms that reward job creators, not punish them," the announcer says, repeating a familiar Republican theme.

Then, in an effort to ease conservative skepticism, the announcer says, "President Romney issues order to begin replacing Obamacare with common-sense health care reform."

As governor of Massachusetts, Romney signed into law a health care overhaul that was a model for Obama's health care law. Conservatives loathe the law's requirement that all individuals purchase health insurance or face penalties.

Romney himself does not speak in the ad. But the ad shows video and still photos of Romney appearing with U.S. workers, underscoring the campaign's central pitch that Romney is the best candidate to improve the economy.

The ad ignores Congress' role in fulfilling these promises, especially on the health care law. A full repeal would require votes from Republican majorities in both the House and Senate or Democratic support for repeal. Republicans currently control the U.S. House and have voted to repeal the law. But Democrats control the Senate, and the balance of power on Capitol Hill would have to shift in order to make Romney's pledge a reality.

And on taxes, Congress would have to act. The president cannot set tax rates.

Data from television stations shows the ad will air in Iowa, North Carolina, Virginia and Ohio, all critical battleground states in the fall. The campaign also released a Spanish language version.

The campaign has not aired commercials since Romney's top Republican challenger, Rick Santorum, dropped out of the race for president.

Several conservative super PACs have stepped in instead, airing ads attacking Obama.

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